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Saint Dominic 



Saints and Sam i l )' D o minican i 

aMlKlMOO HO 

Daily Reflectiort On iSJn&aU»is^ 



EDITED BY 
Reverend Thomas a Kempis Reilly, O. P. 



»• 



Cum permissu Superiorum 




JOHN MURPHY COMPANY 

Publishers 

Baltimore Maryland 



Thb Ijbrary 

WASHINGTON 




Copyright 1915 by 
JOHN MURPHY COMPANY 




J>KESS OF JOHN MURPHY COMPANY, Baltimore 



MAR 18 1915 

0I,A39398V 



t^ J. A. McHuGH, O.P. 

^ C. J. CallaNj O.P. 

Smpnutt Potest : 

b J. R. Meagher, O.P. S.T. Lr. 

^J. CARD. GIBBONS, 

ARCHRrSHOP OF BALTIMORE, 

Feby. 20, 1915. , 



CONTENTS 



Page. 

Abbreviations 20 

Contents 3 to 16 

Foreword 17, 18, 19 

JANUARY. 

1 Circumcision. First Lesson of tlie Infant 

Jesus. Sacrifice 21 

2 Second Lesson of the Infant Jesus. Pov- 

erty 22 

3 Third Lesson of the Infant Jesus. Purity. 24 

4 Fourth Lesson of the Infant Jesus. Obe- 

dience 25 

5 Fifth Lesson of the Infant Jesus. Charity 26 

6 Epiphany. Sixth Lesson of the Infant 

Jesus. Zeal 28 

7 Sunday within the Octave of the Epiph- 

any. Jesus in the midst of the Doctors. 29 

8 Eighth Lesson of the Infant Jesus. Hu- 

mility 31 

9 Mary. Her place in the Mystery of the 

Nativity 32 

10 Bl. Gonsalvo of Amaranthe 34 

11 Ven. Peter of Rheims 35 

12 BI. Brother Peter. Lay-brother 37 

13 Octave Day of the Epiphany. Baptism of 

Our Lord Jesus Christ 38 

14 St. Hilary, B. of Poitiers 40 

15 The Most Holy Name of Jesus 41 

16 Bl. Stephana 43 

17 St. Antony. Patriarch of Hermits 44 

18 The Chair of St. Peter at Rome 46 

19 Bl. Andrew Peschiera 47 



4 CONTENTS. 

20 Ven. John Lopez, B 48 

21 St. Agnes, V., M 50 

22 Ven. Antonius Massoulie 51 

23 St. Raymund of Pennafort 53 

24 Bl. Marcolinus 54 

25 Conversion of St. Paul 56 

26 Bl. Margaret of Hungary 57 

27 St. John Chrysostom : 59 

28 Translation of St. Thomas Aquinas .. 60 

29 St. Francis de Sales 62 

30 Ven. John Aurias 63 

31 St. Peter Nolasco 65 

FEBRUARY. 

1 The Ttiree Martyrs of Urgel 66 

2 Purification of the Blessed Virgin 68 

3 Bl. Matthew of Paris 69 

4 Anniversary of Our Fathers and Mothers. . 71 

5 Ven. Catherine of St. Magdalen 72 

6 Ven. Peter Giradel 74 

7 St. Romuald 75 

8 St. John of Matha and St. Felix of Valois 77 

9 Bl. Bernard Scammaca 78 

10 St. Scholastica 80 

11 The Espousals B. V. M 81 

12 Bl. Reginald of Orleans 83 

13 St. Catherine de Ricci 84 

14 Bl. Nicholas Palea 86 

15 Bl. Jordan of Saxony 87 

16 Ven. Gaspard of the Cross 89 

17 The Seven Founders of the Servite Order. 90 

18 Bl. Lawrence of Ripafracta 92 

19 Bl. Alvarez of Cordova 93 

20 Bl. Angelico of Fiesole 95 

21 Bl. Aimon 96 



CONTENTS. 5 

22 Bl. Peter Cellani 98 

23 St. Peter Damian 99 

24 Ven. Antoninus Timmermaus. Leap-year. 101 

24 (25 leap year). St. Matthias 102 

25 (26 leap year). Bl. Constantius Pabriano.104 

26 (27 leap year). Ven. F. Peter Rondon..l05 

27 (28 leap year). Ven. F. Louis James 

Olivier, called the "Blessed" 107 

28 (29 leap year). Bl. Villana 108 

MARCH. 

1 Bl. Christopher of Milan 110 

2 Bl. Henry Suso Ill 

3 Sister Jane Leires 113 

4 Ven. Leonard 114 

5 Ven. Mark of Marcianise 116 

6 Bl. Jordan of Pisa 117 

7 St. Thomas Aquinas 119 

8 St. John of God 120 

9 Sister Martha Berard, Lay-sister 122 

10 Bl. Peter Jeremia 123 

11 Ven. M. Gabrielle d'Autun 125 

12 St. Gregory the Great 126 

13 Bl. Robert of Naples 128 

14 Octave Day of St. Thomas Aquinas 129 

15 Bl. William d'Orlye 131 

16 Ven. M. Frances Dorothea 132 

17 St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland 134 

18 Bl. Sybillina de Biscossis 135 

19 St. Joseph, Patriarch and Spouse of 

B. V. M 137 

20 Ven. Claude Pleure 138 

21 St. Benedict, Patriarch 140 

22 Bl. Ambrose of Siena 141 

23 Bl. Maurice of Hungary 142 

24 The Archangel Gabriel 144 



6 CONTENTS. 

25 The Annunciation 145 

26 Octave Day of St. Joseph 147 

27 Bl. Hugh of St. Cher 148 

28 The Devout Brother Simon 150 

29 Bl. Venturinus of Bergamo 151 

30 Ven. Melchior Cano 153 

31 Ven. Margaret of St. Thomas 154 

APRIL. 

1 M. Catherine of the Will of God 156 

2 S. Francis of Paula 157 

3 The Stigmata of St. Catherine 159 

4 St. Ambrose 160 

5 St. Vincent Ferrer 162 

6 Ven. Louis Calco 163 

7 Ven. Thomas Catimpr^ or de Champre .... 165 

8 Ven. Mary of the Ascension 166 

9 Bl. Antony Pavona 168 

10 Bl. Antony Neyrot . 169 

11 St. Leo the Great 171 

12 Ven. Peter de la Coste 172 

13 Bl. Margaret of Castello 174 

14 BL Peter Gonzales, called "Telmo" 175 

15 Illustrious Joachim Ko, Mandarin 177 

16 Ven. John of Castro 178 

17 Bl. Clara, called "Tora" .' 180 

18 Bl. Robert of Avignon 181 

19 Bl. Peter Guillot and Companions, MM 183 

20 St. Agnes of Montepulciano 184 

21 Bl. Bartholomew of Corvera 185 

22 Ven. Bernardine of Lucca 187 

23 Ven. Peter Quintin 188 

24 The Holy Crown of Thorns ..190 

25 St. Mark, Evangelist 191 

26 BB. Dominic and Gregory 193 

27 Ven. Bartholomew of the Martyrs 194 



CONTENTS. 7 

28 St. Paul of the Cross 196 

29 St. Peter, Martyr 197 

30 St. Catherine of Siena 199 

Sunday after the Octave of Easter. Pa- 
tronage of St. .Joseph 200 

MAY. 

1 SS. Philip and James 202 

2 St. Athanasius of Alexandria 203 

3 Finding of the Holy Cross 204 

4 St. Monica 206 

5 St. Pius V 207 

6 Ven. Bernard Guidonis 209 

7 Octave Day of St. Catherine of Siena 210 

8 Bl. Joan of Arc 212 

St. Gregory Nazianzen 213 

10 St. Antoninus, Archibishop 215 

11 Ven. Mons. Desgenettes 216 

12 Bl. Jane of Portugal 218 

13 Bl. Albert of Bergamo 219 

14 Bl. Egidius of Giles 221 

15 Conversion of St. Augustine 222 

16 St. Simon Stock 224 

17 Bl. Andrew Abellon . .225 

18 Bl. Joseph Canh, M. T. O. P 227 

19 St. Peter Celesthie 228 

20 Bl. Columba of Rieti 230 

21 St. Bernardine of Siena 231 

22 St. Servatius 233 

23 Bl. Grignon de Montfort 234 

24 Our Lady, Help of Christians 23Q 

25 Translation of the Relics of St. Dominic. .237 

26 St. Philip Neri 238 

27 BB. Peter Sanz and Companions, MM 240 

28 Bl. Maria Bartholomea 241 

29 BB. William Arnaldi and Companions, 

Martyrs of Avignonnet 243 



8 CONTENTS. 

30 Ven. Peter of Aragon 244 

81 Bl. James Salomon 245 

JUNE. 

1 BB. Alphonsus Mavarette and Companions, 

MM 247 

2 BB. Sadoc and Companions, MM 248 

8 Bl. Dominic of Valerica 250 

4 Ven. Brocard of Strasburg 251 

5 St. Francis Caracciolo 253 

6 St. Norbert 254 

7 Bl. Stephen Bandel 256 

8 St. Angela of Merici 257 

9 BB. Diana, Cecilia and Amata 259 

10 Bl. John Dominic 260 

11 St. Barnabas, Apostle 262 

12 Bl. Everard 268 

13 St. Antony of Padua 265 

14 St. Basil the Great . 266 

15 Yen. Jnlianna Morel 268 

16 Ven. Bartholomew de las Casas 269 

17 Ven. Amicie de Montford 271 

18 Bl. Osanna of Mantua 272 

19 Bl. Maurice d'Albi 274 

20 Ven. Alexander Baldrati 275 

21 St. Louis Gonzaga 276 

22 Bl. Innocent V 278 

23 Ven. Sebastian Michaelis 279 

24 Nativity of St. John the Baptist 281 

25 Ven. Margaret of the Virgin 282 

26 BB. Peter and Arnand, Brothers 284 

27 Ven. Mens. Olier .285 

28 Sister Paul of St. Teresa 287 

29 St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles 288 

80 Commemoration of St. Paul 290 



CONTENTS. 9 

JULY. 

.1 Bl. Chabert of Aiguebelle 291 

2 The Visitation 293 

o Bl. Mark of Modena 294 

4 Ven, Catherine Jarrige 29G 

5 St. Antony Maria Zaccaria 297 

6 Bl. Matthew of Paris 299 

7 Bl. Benedict XI 300 

8 Bl. Scalarius, C. O. P 302 

9 St. John of Gorcum 303 

10 Ven. Elizabeth de Levi 304 

11 Anniversary of those Buried in Our Ceme- 
teries 306 

12 St. John Gualbert 307 

13 Bl. James of Voragine 309 

14 St. Bonaventure 310 

15 St. Henry, Emperor 312 

16 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel 313 

17 Bl. Elias of Toulouse 31.5 

18 Bl. Ceslaus 316 

19 St. Vincent de Paul 318 

20 Ven. Mary de Combe 319 

21 St. Jerome Emilian 321 

22 St. Mary Magdalen 322 

23 Bl. Jane of Orvieto 324 

24 Bl. Camillus of Lellis 325 

25 St. James the Great 327 

26 St. Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin 

Mary 328 

27 St. Augustine of Biella 330 

28 Bl. Antony Delia Chiesa 331 

29 St. Martha 332 

30 Bl. Mannes 334 

31 St. Ignatius of Loyola 335 



10 CONTENTS. 

AUGUST. 

1 St. Peter's Chains 337 

2 Bl. Jane of Aza 338 

3 Ven. Yves Maienc 340 

4 Our Holy Father, St. Dominic 341 

5 Our Lady of the Snows 343 

6 The Transfiguration 344 

7 St. Cajetan 346 

8 BI. Augustine of Sucera 347 

9 Bl. John of Salerno 349 

10 St. Lawrence, Martyr 350 

11 Octave Day of St. Dominic 352 

12 St. Clare of Assisi 353 

13 Ven. Louis of Granada 355 

14 Ven. Antony Leguieu, called "of the 

Blessed Sacrament" 356 

15 The Assumption 358 

16 St. Hyacinth 359 

17 Bl. Thomas De, M 360 

18 St. Roch 362 

19 St. Alphonsus Ligouri 363 

20 St. Bernard of Clairvaux 365 

21 St. Jane Frances de Chantal 366 

22 Ven. Marie of St. Anne 368 

23 Bl. James of Mevania 369 

24 St. Bartholomew, Apostle 371 

25 St. Louis, King of France 372 

26 St. Philip Benizi 374 

27 St. Joseph Calasanctius 375 

28 St. Augustine 377 

29 St. Sabina 378 

30 St. Rose of Lima 380 

31 Ven. Augustine Schoeffler 381 



CONTENTS. 11 

SEPTEMBER. 

1 St. Philomena 382 

2 Ven. Benedicta of Laus 384 

3 Bl. Guala 385 

4 Anniversary of Our Deceased Benefactors. 387 

5 Bl. Catherine of Raconigi 388 

6 Bl. Bertrand of Garrigua 390 

7 Ven. Albert O'Brien 391 

8 Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 393 

Sunday Within the Octave: The Holy 

Name of Mary 394 

9 Ven. Sophia of Colmar 396 

10 Ven. Sister Charity of Brescia » . 397 

11 Ven. Martin Donadieu 399 

12 Ven. Seraphin Capponi 400 

13 Ven. Peter Ibanez 402 

14 Exaltation of the Holy Cross 403 

15 St. Dominic in Soriano 405 

16 Bl. Imelda Lambertini 406 

17 Stigmata of St. Francis 408 

18 St. Zedmera, the Ethiopian 409 

19 Ven. Adelaide of Colmar 411 

20 Bl. Francis Possadas 412 

21 St. Matthew, Apostle 414 

22 Ven. Simon Saltarello 415 

23 St. Thecla 417 

24 Bl. Dalmatius Monier 418 

25 St. Thomas of Villanova 419 

26 Ven. Agnes of .Tesus 421 

27 Bl. Humbert de Romans 422 

28 St. Joseph Cupertino 424 

29 St. Michael, Archangel 425 

80 St Jerome 427 



12 CONTENTS. 

OCTOBER. 

First Sunday : Feast of the Most Holy 
Rosary 428 

Octave Day of the Rosary 430 

1 St. Remigius 431 

2 Holy Guardian Angels 432 

3 Bl. John Massias 434 

4 St. Francis of Assisi 43-5 

5 Bl. Raymund of Capua 437 

6 St. Bruno . 438 

7 Bl. Matthew Carreri 440 

8 St. Bridget 441 

9 St. Denis and Companions 442 

10 St. Louis Bertrand 444 

11 Ven. Timothy Ricci 445 

12 Bl. James of Ulm . .447 

13 Bl. Romens Catalan 448 

14 Bl. Magdalen of Trino . .450 

15 St. Teresa 451 

16 Ven. Reginald Cavanac 453 

17 Bl. Margaret Alacoque 454 

18 St. Luke, Apostle 456 

19 St. Peter of Alcantara 457 

20 Bl. John of Vicenza 459 

21 St. Ursula and Companions, MM 460 

22 Bl. Peter of Tiferno 462 

23 Bl. Bartholomew of Braganza 462 

24 St. Raphael, Archangel 465 

25 Ven. Genevieve of Siena . i 466 

26 Bl. Damian of Finario 468 

27 Ven. Peter of Tapia 469 

28 SS. Simon and Jude 471 

29 Bl. Benvenuta Bojani . .472 

30 Feast of the Holy Relics Preserved in 

Dominican Churches 474 

31 Bl. Alan de la Roche 475 



CONTENTS. 13 

NOVEMBER. 

1 All Saints 477 

First Sunday : Dedication of the Churches 

of France 478 

2 All Souls 480 

3 Bl. Simon Ballachi 481 

4 St. Charles Borromeo 483 

5 Bl. Martin Forres 484 

6 Ven. Benedict XIII 486 

,7 Bl. Peter Ruffia 488 

8 Octave Day of All Saints 489 

9 All Saints of the Order 491 

10 All Souls of the Order 492 

11 St. Martin of Tours 494 

12 Bl. Carino 495 

13 Bernard of Morlaas and His Disciples, 

BB 497 

14 Bl. John Liccio .499 

15 Bl. Albert the Great 500 

16 Bl. Lucy of Narni 502 

17 St. Gregory Thaumaturgus 503 

18 Ven. John Tauler 505 

19 St. Elizabeth of Hungary 506 

20 Ven. Anne of Montclar 508 

21 Presentation, B. V. M 509 

22 St. Cecilia 511 

23 St. Clement 512 

24 St. John of the Cross 514 

25 St. Catherine of Alexandria 515 

26 Bl. Lawrence of England 517 

27 Bl. Margaret of Savoy 518 

28 Bl. Zedislava 520 

29 Bl. James 521 

30 St. Andrew, Apostle 523 



14 CONTENTS. 

DECEMBER. 

1 Bl. Hugh of St. Cher 524 

2 Bl. Nicholas of Holland 526 

3 St. Francis Xavier 527 

4 Ven. Dominic Osman 529 

5 Bl. Voluntas of Basle 530 

6 St. Nicholas of Myra 532 

7 Bl. John the Teutonic 533 

8 The Immaculate Conception 535 

9 Bl. Michael Pages 536 

10 Our Lady of Loreto .538 

11 Ven. Fr. Alexander Vincent Jandel 539 

12 Ven. Leonard Mercier 541 

13 Bl. Lucy , 542 

14 Ven. Peter Paul 544 

15 Ven. Anne Marie 545 

16 Bl. Sebastian Maggi 547 

17 Ven. Mary Lumague 549 

18 Bl. Margaret Ebner '. . .550 

19 Ven. Hyacinth Suarez 551 

20 St. Dominic of Sylo 553 

21 St. Thomas, Apostle 554 

22 Bl. Mary Mancuii 556 

23 Ven. Paret of Clermont 557 

24 Christmas Eve 559 

25 Christmas Day 560 

26 St. Stephen Protomartyr 562 

27 St. John the Evangelist 563 

28 Holy Innocents 565 

29 St. Thomas of Canterbury 566 

30 First Disposition for Ending the Year 

Well : Compunction 568 

31 Second Disposition for Ending the Year 

Well : Gratitude 569 



CONTENTS. 15 

MOA'ABLE FEASTS. 

The Prayer of Our Lord. Tuesday in Septua- 

gesima Week 571 

Commemoration of the Passion. Tuesday in 

Sexagesima Week • • • • 5*^2 

Ash Wednesday 573 

Lance and Nails of Our Lord. Friday of the 

Second Week of Lent 574 

Holy Winding Sheet of Our Lord. Friday of 

the Third Week of Lent 575 

The Most Precious Blood. Friday of the 

Fourth Week of Lent 575 

Five Wounds of Our Lord. Friday of the 

Fifth Week of Lent 576 

Passion Sunday 577 

Compassion of Our Lady. Friday of the Sixth 

Week of Lent 578 

Palm Sunday 579 

Monday in Holy Week 579 

Tuesday in Holy Week 580 

Wednesday in Holy Week 581 

Maundy Thursday 582 

Good Friday 582 

Holy Saturday 583 

Easter Sunday ; 584 

Easter Monday 585 

Easter Tuesday 585 

Wednesday in Easter Week 586 

Thursday in Easter Week 587 

Friday in Easter Week .588 

Saturday in Easter Week 588 

Low Sunday 589 

Ascension of Our Lord 590 

Octave of the Ascension 591 

Vigil of Pentecost 591 



16 CONTENTS. 

Whit-Sunday 592 

Whit-Monday 593 

Whit-Tuesday 594 '^ 

Wednesday in Whitsun-week 595 

Thursday in Whits an-week 596 

Friday in Whitsun-week 597 

Saturday in Whitsun-week .597 

Trinity Sunday 598 

Corpus Christi 599 

Friday Within the Octave of Corpus Christi . . 600 
Saturday Within the Octave of Corpus Christi. 601 
Sunday Within the Octave of Corpus Christi.. 601 
Monday Within the Octave of Corpus Christi. .602 
Tuesday Within the Octave of Corpus Christi. 603 
Wednesday Within the Octave of Corpus 

Christi 603 

Octave of Corpus Christi 604 

Sacred Heart of Jesus 605 

Pure Heart of Mary 606 



FOREWORD. 



THE dearth of Dominican literature in 
English is a source of keen regret to 
the many at home and abroad who 
have constantly the highest interests of the 
Order at heart. As a result of this dearth 
there follows first a lack of knowledge, then 
a lack of appreciation and intelligent sym- 
pathy for the great Dominican luminaries of 
the past. These eminent departed, united 
with us in the bonds of sacred fellowship be- 
gotten of the communion of saints, are all 
too vaguely known. Dominican devotion, ac- 
cordingly, is suffering; and our saints and 
blesseds who have attained to joys supernal, 
and are daily interceding for us, oan hardly 
reap the measure of enlightened homage and 
veneration that is their due. 

These choice readings and meditations, it 
is hoped, will help to fill up the existing void. 
Coming, as they do, from the devout pen of 
the present Master General- of the Order, 
there is no doubt that, to those who assimi- 

2 



18 FOREWORD. 

late them, they will impart a thoroughly 
Dominican coloring of inner life and thought. 
From them the true Dominican spirit may 
be imbibed in greater abundance, and as a 
result, the Fathers, Brothers and Sisters of 
St. Dominic's religious family, the Tertiaries 
and prospective postulants for admission into 
the Order, the laity in general, whether pa- 
rishioners, subjects, pupils, friends or mem- 
bers of Church societies and sodalities, will 
all feel greatly indebted to the author for the 
solicitude and zeal that stimulated him to 
promote Dominican ideals so appreciably in 
their behalf. 

In creating, encouraging and cultivating 
devotion to our sainted heroes, we become in 
a manner like to them; they are made our 
models; their maxims become fixed ideas in 
our lives ; their words open up to us the 
secrets of* the Gospel and give us access to 
the bosom and heart of Christ. The peculiar 
'theological impress of Dominican piety is 
unquestioned, and that character, which is as 
a seal upon our piety, has been placed there 
by our Founder, our saints, and our blesseds. 
As spiritual offspring of this glorious and 
hallowed line, the more we drink in of its 



FOBEWOBD. 19 

refined and heavenly wisdom, the more shall 
we be blessed, and the more highly will our 
future be emblazoned in the passing annals 
of the holy, and on the enduring pages of the 
book of life. 

The Editor. 



20 ABBREVIATIONS. 



ABBREVIATIONS. 



B. — Bishop. 

BL— Blessed. 

BB. — Blesseds. 

C. — Confessor. 

D. — Doctor. 

Fr. — Father. 

M. — Martyr. 

MM. — Martyrs. 

Mons. — Monsieur. 

O. P. — Order of Preachers, i. e., Domini- 
can. 

SS. — Saints. 

T. — Tertiary, i. e.. Members of the Third 
Order. 

V. — Virgin. 

Ven. — Venerable. 

W.— Vi^idow. 



Saints and Saintly Dominicans. 



JANUARY 1. 

The Circumcision. First Lesson of the 
Infant Jesu^. Sacrifice. 

"A scribe, when beginning a beautiful 
book, inscribes the title page with great care 
and in brilliant letters. So the Holy Ghost, 
Who is about to write the life of our Lord 
as a book filled with His virtues, begins by 
tracing in letters of blood the title of this 
book, which is 'J^sus, or Saviour'." Such is 
the idea of St. Vincent Ferrer and he adds: 
''Jesus in this mystery acts towards us like 
a merchant, who, wishing to buy some pre- 
cious pearls, pays a sum of money on 
account for them." These pearls are our 
souls, the money paid on account is the first 
shedding of His blood. It is a proof of the 
generosity of His love for us, and a fore- 
taste of the abundant graces He desires to 
shed on us during the coming year. But it 
teaches us also a serious lesson regarding 
the courage which we must bring to the 
work of our Christian perfection, if we would 



22 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

redeem the time and make good use of the 
days of our present life. It is no use trying 
to deceive ourselves, the work of our sal- 
vation begins and ends with sacrifice. Since 
Jesus Himself proclaims this truth, I believe 
it, I accept it, I bow down before it and I 
will hasten without delay to walk in this way 
which alone leads to Heaven. 

Ej. prayer — O my God, shall I see the end 
of this year? That depends on Thee, but it 
depends on me to begin it well. Give me 
love, confidence and perseverance for this 
work. 

Practice — Choose, with the advice of your 
director, some special spiritual work to be 
done this year, and begin by reciting the 
'^Veni Creator." , 

JANUARY 2. 

Second Lesson of the Infant Jesus. 

Poverty. 

Our Infant Saviour in His crib puts before 
us the spirit of poverty as one of the chief 
foundations of the Christian life. In truth, 
attachment to the material things of this 
world fills the heart with fear and disquie- 
tude, rendering it indisposed for the things 
of God. It weakens our faith in the invisible 
realities, lessens our hope of future reward, 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 23 

cools the ardor of our love of God, weakens 
our charity towards our neighbor and divides 
the most united families. And so, Jesus will 
proclaim later on, in the first of the Beati- 
tudes, that it is necessary to be detached 
from earthly goods, at least in heart, if one 
would possess His kingdom. But let us, 
His willing disciples, without waiting for 
this warning, say to Him, as we kneel by His 
manger: "O Jesus, poor little One, Thou 
art eloquent in Thy silence and I under- 
stand Thee! O my King, crowned with 
poverty, I bless Thee! O my God, hidden 
beneath the swaddling bands, I adore Thee! 
Henceforth Thy . poverty shall be my law, 
my honor, my strength and my consolation." 
These were the sentiments qi B. Pons de 
St. Gilles, O. P., who, though he was 
Superior, chose always the most worn habit, 
the coarsest food and the most inconvenient 
cell: yet the princes of the earth were all 
the more eager to bestow on him abundant 
alms, especially for the maintenance of the 
young men whom he was preparing to enter 
the Order (1263). 

Reflection — "When a man in the midst of 
riches has not set his heart on them, he 
works wonders" (St. Thomas Aquinas). 

Practice — Give some winter clothing to 
the poor, or an alms at the cost of some pri- 
vation to yourself. 



24 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JANUARY 3. 

Third I/esson of the Infant Jesus. Purity. 

The Word of God is "the spotless radiance 
of the Eternal Light." In taking our nature, 
He loses nothing of His infinite purity. He 
even makes use of our humanity as an in- 
strument to sanctify the whole human race. 
Whilst yet lying in His crib, He reveals to 
us His love of chastity by the choice He 
makes of His first adorers, men who by their 
simplicity and purity are found worthy of a 
place near the Blessed Virgin Mother and 
St. Joseph. In submitting His tender body 
to the inclemency of the season, He points 
out to us at the same time one of the chief 
means of guarding this treasure — mortifica- 
tion of the senses. What an honor to be 
called on to practice in a more or less per- 
fect degree this virtue of the angels, lightly 
called *'the beautiful virtue." But what vig- 
ilance and what a spirit of prayer are need- 
ful in order to remain faithful to it, in pre- 
serving all the senses, the imagination, the 
memory, the heart, in honor and virtue. So 
thought V. M. Margaret of St. Thomas, 
O. P., who, with a holy jealousy of the divine 
predilections, promised by a special vow to 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 25 

avoid those persons for whom she felt a 
natural inclination, instead of seeking them 
and enjoying their society. 

Reflection — Apply to yourself the words of 
St. Dominic to his children, when he was 
dying: "It is by purity of life and the 
fragrance of a good name that you will do 
wonders among the people." 

Practice — If you receive visits, watch over 
your words and looks, remembering that 
'^death enters by the windows." that is by 
the eyes. 

JANUARY 4. 

Fourth Lesson of the Infant Jesus. 
Obedience. 

Jesus teaches us from His crib that in 
order to live as true Christians the spirit of 
poverty and of purity are not sufficient, we 
must also be governed by the spirit of obedi- 
ence. Filled with this virtue,' the Divine 
Infant already says in His Heart and pro- 
claims by His deeds what later on He will 
teach aloud. "I am come not to do My own 
will, but the will of Him that sent Me"— 
My meat is to do the will of My Father," 
I do always those things that please Him." 
But," as the Eternal Father said to St. 
Catherine of Sienna, "it is not sufficient that 
obedience be found in the Word made flesh, 



26 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

if it is not found also in you." Here we have 
the key which opens Heaven. And this is 
not for rehgious only. Every good Christian 
should live in a large and wholesome meas- 
ure under the law of obedience in order to 
enjoy the blessing of freedom from the 
tyranny of self. It was in this spirit that 
Bl. M. Magdalen, O. P., made herself the 
servant of all her Sisters, even her equals 
and inferiors, in order to have the happiness 
of living in perpetual subjection. 

Aspiration — O sweet obedience! thou dost 
set sail without trouble and arrivest without 
peril at the port of salvation. Thy calm 
comes of thy strength. Thou art a precious 
but hidden pearl which the world tramples 
under foot. Thou hast acquired thy liberty 
by killing sensuality with the hatred and 
contempt of self (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Recall the advice received from 
your director in your annual retreat. 



JANUARY 5. 

Fifth Lesson of the Infant Jesus. Charity. 

One might say that this lesson is the first, 
the last and indeed the only lesson of Our 
Saviour, so greatly does it surpass and so 
well sum up all the others. Bl. Albert the 
Great, O. P., invites us to imitate this char- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 27 

ity by practicing mercy and concord towards 
our neighbor. (1) Mercy leads us to give 
alms till we have nothing left, to upardon 
injuries even before being asked and to 
strive to obtain the pardon of Heaven for 
the sinner. (2) The spirit of unity and con- 
cord makes us conform our ideas to those 
of our neighbor in what concerns our ser- 
vice of God, and to conform our conduct in 
eating, drinking, sleeping and our ordinary 
actions to the customs of those around us, 
in all that is not contrary to the law of God, 
in order to gain souls to Our Lord Jesus 
Christ. Jesus Himself sets us an example 
of these two forms of charity; He acts be- 
fore He teaches. Good example is a form 
of preaching within the reach of all and 
often the most fruitful, reaching the heart 
with all gentleness. At any rate, it is the 
most binding on us. It was this which so 
attracted Bl. Fr. Peter to our Order, he 
was witness of the conduct and bearing of 
the first companions of St. Dominic. "All 
their members were turned into tongues/' 
he says. 

Prayer — Preserve us, O God, from being 
a cause of scandal to even one of Thy lit- 
tle ones. 

Practice — Strive to repair this year the 
disedification given during the past one, and 



28 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

meditate on this maxim of Bl. Osaniia, O. P.: 
"That day is lost on which you have done 
nothings to help your neighbor." 



JANUARY 6. 

The Epiphany. Sixth Lesson of the Infant 

Jesus. Zeal. 

The Epiphany is the manifestation of Jesus 
to the Gentile world, represented by the 
Magi. The Friars Preachers, being founded 
specially for the salvation of souls, received 
the mission — given them by their holy 
founder St. Dominic, who is represented 
with a star on his brow — of continuing and 
developing the mystery of the Epiphany to 
the ends of the earth. "They press forward 
eagerly," says the Holy See, praising our 
first Fathers, "in preaching the Gospel and 
in diffusing over the whole earth the light, 
of divine doctrine" (Alex. IV). The Magi on 
the day of the Epiphany hastened to Jesus 
Christ, led rather by interior grace than by 
the miraculous star. In the Church we see 
the Friars Preachers, together with other 
religious, and hard working priests, who go 
in search of the heathen to save their souls 
from ignorance and vice and from the pow- 
ers of hell. Admire their zeal and pray ear- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 29 

nestly for them. How beautiful are the 
feet of those who thus go to proclaim peace 
and to point out the One Supreme Good. 
But what a life of perfect detachment they 
must lead if they are to persevere active and 
constant to the end in the way of charity. 

Prayer — I thank Thee, O my God, for hav- 
ing given me from my birth the light of the 
true faith. 

Practice — Show great zeal for the work 
of the Foreign Missions. Take pleasure in 
reading often the Annals of the Propagation 
of the Faith. 

JANUARY 7. 

Sunday Within the Octave of the Epiph- 
any. Jesus in the Midst of the Doctors. 

When He was twelve years old, Jesus 
would make known to His Blessed Mother 
and St. Joseph that although His love and re- 
spect for them was so great, yet He placed 
the interests of His Heavenly Father above 
all. He remained, without their knowledge, 
in the Temple, where by His words of wis- 
dom He amazed the Jewish doctors of the 
law. Thus He shows Himself as the Teacher 
and the Angel of Good Counsel. St. Dom- 



so SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

inic, the champion and propagator of divine 
Truth, enlightened by a Christian instinct, 
proposes this scene from the Gospel as the 
subject of meditation for the fifth joyful mys- 
tery of the Rosary. In truth Jesus is and 
always will be for us "the Way, the Truth 
and the Life" (St. John xiv, 6). He who fol- 
loweth this Way need not fear to walk in 
darkness. O Jesus, Divine Teacher, grant 
that all youthful learners may seek Thee, 
contemplate Thee and imitate Thee as their 
perfect model. May they learn of Thee to 
listen with modesty, to reflect maturely, to 
refrain from harmful curiosity. Thus they 
will never leave the royal road of Truth, and 
they will succeed in extending her empire 
by pushing back the frontiers of treacherous 
heresy that destroy immortal souls. 

Aspiration — "I have run in the way of Thy 
Commandments, O my God, when Thou 
hast enlarged my heart" (Ps., 118). "Draw 
me and we will run after Thee in the odors 
of Thy perfumes." 

Practice — Interest yourself in the work of 
teaching catechism, pray for those engaged 
in it and try to join them. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 31 

JANUARY 8. 

Eighth Lesson of the Infant Jesus. 
Humility. 

In order to lay in your heart all the foun- 
dation stones of the Christian life, add to 
the spirit of poverty, of purity and of obedi- 
ence that of humility. Remember how Jesus, 
the Lord and Master of all things, became 
the servant of all, not of necessity, but of 
His own free choice. He is Himself the 
Eternal Wisdom; therefore His choice is an 
infallible judgment on the excellence of a 
life that is pure and upright, although lowly, 
despised, hidden from the eyes of men, but 
all the more dear to God. Would you be a 
true Christian? Do you wish to labor 
fruitfully for the salvation of your neighbor? 
Then show, by forgetfulness of self, by the 
calm acceptance of trial and by unreserved 
devotion to God, that you consider yourself 
inferior to all men. The world will believe 
in the virtue of those who are as generous 
in self-sacrifice as they are skilled in the art 
of hiding their good deeds. Sister Augustine 
Dagier, a Dominican Lay Sister, chose in 
this spirit to give herself to the most lowly 
and fatiguing occupations, saying that she 



32 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

would like to die "like an ass under its bur- 
den/* How much her work and her spirit 
must have pleased God! 

Prayer — O my God, make me die to this 
desire of appearing something before others, 
to the foolish vanity which puffs me up and 
makes me think myself great, which makes 
me desire to command and to lift up myself 
above others, which makes me in short, a 
disciple of Lucifer (Fr. Massoulie, O. P.). 

Practice — Persevere in the act of humility 
when preparing for meditation, for Confes- 
sion and Holy Communion, also when you 
are exposed to temptation. 



JANUARY 9. 

Mary — Her Place in the Mystery of the 

Nativity. 

Mary occupies a very special place near 
the Crib. Nothing is more beautiful or in- 
structive than her reverence, her recollec- 
tion, her eagerness to receive all who ren- 
der homage to the Saviour, to accept their 
offerings, to recommend their prayers to 
Him. She exercises the office of mediatrix 
between Jesus and those who come to Him 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 33 

and thus begins to be the great mediatrix 
between Heaven and earth. The Blessed Vir- 
gin merits to be called our way towards sal- 
vation. Perfect way, in which is found no 
mire, no dust, no trace of sin; universal 
way, suitable for all ages, all states of life, 
all degrees of virtue; easy way, on account 
of the superabundant graces of the Holy 
Spirit. On that way the traveller never tires, 
nor is tempted to turn back, the road seems 
bordered with roses; in short it is the 
nearest and most direct way, because the 
Heart of Mary is nearer to us than any- 
thing else by its mercy and nearer to God 
by its dignity. Let us then enter on this 
way that we may arrive at the fulness of 
Christ. "O Mary, if I call you the image of 
God, you are worthy of this name" (St. 
Augustine). 

Prayer — ''All for her — nothing without her, 
that is my secret to become perfect" (Verse 
composed and often sung to Mary by Bl. 
Grignon de Montfort, T., O. P.). 

Practice — Meditate on these words of a 
saint: "As breathing is a certain sign that 
a body still lives, so the frequent thought of 
and loving aspiration towards Mary proves 
that a soul is not dead towards God, nor 
ruined by sin." 



34 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JANUARY 10. 

Bl. Gonsalvo of Amaranthe, C, O. P. 

Bl. Gonsalvo sanctified himself first as a 
secular priest, in charge of the Church of 
St. Pelagia. Afterwards he made a pilgrim- 
age to Rome and also to Jerusalem, where 
he remained more than thirteen years, be- 
ing never tired of spending whole nights on 
Calvary. On his return to Portugal, his 
nephew, whom he had chosen to fill his office 
in the Church, refused even to allow him to 
enter it and went so far as to seize his pil- 
grim's stafif and to beat him with it. Bl. Gon- 
salvo, enlightened as to the nothingness of 
this world, retired into a hermitage, where 
he resolved, in accordance with instructions 
received from the Blessed Virgin, to enter 
among those religious whom he should hear 
beginning and ending the Office with the 
"Hail Mary." After long search and many 
journeys he found what he sought in a 
convent of Friars Preachers and received the 
habit there. He obtained leave to return to 
his former hermitage and labored so fruit- 
fully for the conversion of souls that by de- 
grees the solitude became transformed into 
a town, called at the present time Amaran- 
the. By the help of God, he built a bridge 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 85 



at a spot where such an erection seemed 
quite impossible. In order to provide for the 
workmen employed on the building, he 
caused water to flow from the rock by strik- 
ing it with his staff, and the fishes in the 
river came and allowed themselves to be 
caught when Bl. Gonsalvo put out his hand, 
offering themselves as food for the laborers. 

Prayer — O Blessed Gonsalvo, enlighten 
all those who are undecided as to their vo- 
cation and teach them to use the time of 
waiting as a special means of preparation. 

Practice — Try to inspire those about you 
with devotion to Mary, and if you have 
pupils, teach them often to say the "Hail 
Mary." 

JANUARY 11. 

Ven. Fr. Peter of Rheims, C, O. P. 

From his first entrance into the Order, 
this holy religious made it his chief care to 
attain to the most perfect purity of heart, by 
the mortification of his senses and great dil- 
igence in prayer. Our Holy Father St. 
Dominic encouraged him in the ministry of 
preaching and nominated him Provincial of 
France. He was prior of the Convent of 
Paris at the time when the Friars were the 



36 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

victims of the most terrible diabolical perse- 
cution; the demons appearing to them under 
horrible forms, beat them unmercifully, 
loaded them with abuse and insults and kept 
them in a continual state of panic. By the 
advice of Bl. Jordan, the afflicted prior or- 
dered the response, "Te Sanctum," in honor 
of the Holy Angels to be sung after Matins. 
But all efforts and prayers seemed in vain. 
It was then that the Ven. Prior had the 
happy inspiration of estabhshing the custom 
of singing the "Salve Regina" in procession 
through the church, every night after Com- 
pline. Since then this antiphon has been 
the means of obtaining great graces from 
Mary. At Marseilles, a holy woman, a Lom- 
bard by race, saw the Blessed Virgin, when 
the Friars sang: "Et Jesum, etc., hold out 
to them the Infant .Jesus, Who filled them 
with strength and joy. Another received 
her vocation to the religious life during the 
singing of the "Inviolata" at the Saturday 
procession. Fr. Peter of Rheims became 
Bishop of Agen, and died in 1245. 

Prayer — O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo 
Maria! 

Practice — In all temptations, especially 
those to sadness and discouragement, at 
once invoke the Blessed Virgin with great 
confidence. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 37 

JANUARY 12. 

Bl. Peter, Lay Brother, O. P. 

Bl. Peter began life as a humble cabin-boy. 
He was full of the love of adventure, but 
always pious and very particular about going 
to confession before setting out on a voy- 
age. At one of the confessions, made as it 
seemed by chance to a Dominican Friar, he 
made up his mind to give up a seafaring life 
and to become a lay brother. He was made 
porter, "an ofifice which," says Bl. Humbert, 
"requires a brother of grave and religious, 
yet ^at the same time gracious, demeanor, 
proof against evil, of good sense, able to 
answer prudently, capable of edifying others 
by his pleasant conversation." This good 
lay brother possessed all these qualities and 
especially he knew how to be patient under 
injuries and was very humble in his manner 
of refusing to do what he knew to be con- 
trary to his duty. He worked wonders by 
his charity towards the poor, particularly 
those who were old and infirm. When any 
religious of his convent was about to die, 
he always knew and foretold it days before- 
hand. During eight days after the burial, 
he remained all through the night in prayer 
at the grave. He would not die in a bed, but 



38 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

on the bare earth, and the faithful were so 
eager to see his holy remains that it required 
armed force to prevent them from disinter- 
ring the body. In spite of his austerities, he 
preserved all his life a fresh, clear complex- 
ion, the true outward expression of his pure 
and joyous heart. 

Prayer — "Blessed be God, Who hath not 
rejected my prayer, nor withdrawn his in- 
finite mercy from me" (Ps. Ixv, 20). Last 
words of Bl. Peter. 

Practice — Learn how to refuse with a good 
grace what you cannot do for your neigh- 
bor without failing in your duty. 



JANUARY 13. 

Octave Day of the Epiphany. 

"Why," asks St. Thomas Aquinas, "was 
Christ baptized?" Not in order to be 
cleansed, for He was "holy, without spot, 
separated from sinners" (Heb. viii, 26), but 
"that the element of water, sanctified by con- 
tact with Him, might receive a baptismal 
virtue for the benefit of the whole Church." 
And as baptism opens the gate of Heaven to 
Christians, so it was after the baptism of 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 30 

Christ that the Heavens were opened and a 
voice was heard saying: *'This is my be- 
loved Son, in Thee I am well pleased" (St. 
Mark i, 11). In the prayers of the day the 
Church invites us to ask that we may merit 
to be made inwardly conformed to Him 
Who made Himself outwardly like unto us. 
This interior reformation, signified by bap- 
tism, which buried us to a life of sin and 
raised us to a new life in Jesus Christ, ought 
to continue all our lives. Is this work 
already well advanced in us? Has it not 
rather gone back and even been destroyed 
a hundred times since our baptism? The 
Ven. Frances of the Nativity, O. P., appre- 
ciated the benefits of God more and more 
as she grew old, especially that of her bap- 
tism, the anniversary of which she kept with 
admirable fervor. So also St. Louis, T., 
O. P., who preferred the title of Christian to 
that of King of France, and signed himself 
"Louis de Poissy" in memory of the place 
where he was baptized. 

Prayer — "I have said; now do I begin" 
(Ps. Ixxvi, 11). 

Practice — Renew the promises of your bap- 
tism, thanking God for having given you 
Jesus for your brother. 



40 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JANUARY 14. 

St. Hilary, Bishop of Poictiers. 

Whilst still living in the married state St. 
Hilary attained to the perfection of the cen- 
obites. During his episcopate, he threw him- 
self with zeal into the battle against Arian- 
ism, a heresy which at that time had over- 
run the world, and which, under equiv- 
ocal terms, denied the reality of the Incar- 
nation of the Word and the Divinity of Jesus 
Christ, thereby destroying the efficacy of the 
Redemption; reducing the Blessed Virgin 
Mother to the condition of an ordinary wo- 
man; strengthening the power of the demon 
and leading millions of souls to hell. The 
courage of St. Hilary brought on him the 
sentence of exile to the East, but while there 
he worked so well for the spread of the true 
faith that they sent him back to his own 
diocese in order to get rid of him. There 
he never ceased by his words and writings 
to maintain the cause of Truth, regretting 
only that he had not been considered worthy 
to suffer martyrdom. Having learned that 
his daughter had embraced the state of vir- 
ginity, he obtained from God that she might 
be recalled from this world before she had 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 41 

time to repent of a vow, in which he foresaw 
so many graces for her and so much con- 
solation for himself. St. Jerome called St. 
Hilary the Rhone of Latin eloquence, Pius 
IX declared him a Doctor of the Church. 

Prayer — Enlighten, O my God, all who 
fight against Thy Church, and who resist 
the Holy Ghost by lack of mortification of 
heart (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Do not hesitate, even if you 
stand alone, to affirm and maintain the max- 
ims of faith without fear, and that in all 
their fulness, but with discretion and 
humility. 

JANUARY 15. 

The Most Holy Name of Jesus. 

The Confraternity of the Most Holy Name 
of Jesus is one of the most glorious of those 
attached to our Order. In its earliest days 
the Ven. Fr. Isuard and the Ven. Fr. Peter 
of Catalogue healed the deaf, the lame and 
the blind by the virtue of this Holy Name. 
Bl. John of Vicenza was specially praised by 
Pope Gregory IX for having made use of 
it to confound the enemies of the Church 
and to stir up devotion among his religious. 



42 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Gregory X expressed, in 1274, to the Master 
General of the Order, his desire to see the 
Holy Name of Jesus greatly honored — 
added: ''When you and your Friars preach 
the Word of God, we beg and exhort you to 
give the Christian people solid reasons for 
carrying out this, our desire. Thus you will 
obtain the crown of justice." The Ven. Fr. 
Diaz, a Portuguese Dominican, erected the 
Confraternity of this devotion in 1432. Its 
object is to repair outrages against the thrice 
Holy Name of Jesus, Son of God, and 
also the irreverence committed in our 
churches. St, Ignatius of Loyola caused to 
be inscribed at the Minerva, "O Name of 
Jesus! Thou art a light in preaching, nour- 
ishment in meditation, unction in tribulation. 
Thou art honey to the mouth, melody to the 
ear, and joy to the heart. May I die ex- 
claiming 'May Jesus live! may Jesus be 
loved!'" 

Prayer — My good Jesus, be Thou a thou- 
sand times blest! 

Practice — Be faithful in making the inclina- 
tion of the head when you hear pronounced 
in church the Holy Name of Jesus. And 
when you hear it elsewhere, pay it homage 
in your heart. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 43 

JANUARY 16. 

Bl. Stephana, V., O. P. 

Whilst Bl. Stephana was still a child, Bl. 
Matthew Carreri told her that he would 
make her his heiress. In truth she had, like 
him, a large share in the sufferings of Jesus 
on the Cross. During forty years she suf- 
fered from a pain in her heart, which felt as 
if being constantly torn on a wheel. But 
nothing put a stop to her zeal, and, full of 
desire for the glory of God, she took charge 
of several young girls in order to bring them 
up to a good life. She understood how to 
carry out the three things recommended by 
St. Thomas in the matter of education: to 
instruct, to please and to render souls pliant 
and yielding. Her efforts were so blessed 
by God that, by degrees, her pupils felt 
themselves called to the study of the high- 
est perfection, and the humble school be- 
came a fervent monastery dedicated to the 
Apostle St. Paul. Bl. Stephana was held in 
such high esteem that Francis I, King of 
France, having conquered Milan, sent his 
respects to her and exempted her convent 
from all war taxes. When Louis Sforza, 
Duke of Milan, went in disguise to see her, 
she was enlightened supernaturally as to his 



44 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

identity and gave him frankly the counsel 
he needed in order to amend his conduct. 
St. Angela of Merici had several pious con- 
ferences with her, which filled them both 
with consolation. Bl. Stephana died at the 
age of seventy-three years (1530). 

Prayer — O Blessed Stephana, obtain for 
the teaching Dominicans many generous and 
solid vocations. 

Practice — Speak of God, when you have 
the opportunity, to some child or ignorant 
person. 

JANUARY 17. 

St. Antony, Patriarch of Hermits. 

At the age of eighteen St. Antony dis- 
tributed all his goods to the poor and went 
to bury himself in the desert of Egypt, in or- 
der to be more free to strive after perfection. 
There he suffered severe attacks and the 
most extraordinary persecutions from the 
evil one, but these seemed only to increase 
his progress. Like an industrious bee, he 
went about visiting the neighboring hermits, 
in order to gather from them, as from 
among so many flowers, the honey of devo- 
tion. He learned humility from one, from 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 45 

another patience; from this one prudence 
and from another compunction of heart. 
His prayer during the silence of the night 
was so sweet that in the morning, recalled 
by the rising sun to his daily occupations, 
he cried out: "O sun, why hast thou come 
to interrupt me?" It was he also who said, 
speaking of perfect prayer: "He who is 
conscious that he prays does not as yet pray 
perfectly." His virtues made such an im- 
pression on the other solitaries that even 
during his lifetime they called him St. An- 
tony the Great. He died at the age of one 
hundred and five years (356). St. Augustine, 
on reading his life, exclaimed: "What! the 
ignorant seize on the Kingdom of Heaven, 
and we with our soulless knowledge still 
wallow in flesh and blood." St. Dominic and 
St. Thomas Aquinas both delighted in read- 
ing his life — a fact which caused their influ- 
ence on their religious and even on seculars 
to show a beautiful reflection of the life of 
the Thebaid and to breathe forth its perfume. 

Prayer — O great model of contemplative 
prayer, obtain for us great fervor in our 
morning meditations! 

Practice — Close your eyes to the faults of 
your neighbor and be eager to imitate his 
virtues. 



46 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JANUARY 18. 

The Chair of St. Peter at Rome. 

This feast commemorates the day when 
the Prince of the Apostles, the first of the 
Popes, came to estabHsh the seat of his 
sovereignty in Rome. Rome had become 
like a den of wild beasts and like a tumultu- 
ous sea through the pride of its Emperors, 
the errors of its philosophers, and the wor- 
ship of its false gods. Peter, who in Judea 
had feared to walk on the waves, now ad- 
vances boldly towards the idolatrous city, 
there to plant the Cross which he was soon 
to seal with his blood. Thus was fixed at 
Rome the centre of the Catholic Church, 
the supreme seat of the Papacy. When St. 
Dominic, in a mysterious vision, supported 
the Lateran basilica, it was the chair of Peter 
which he upheld, inspired by filial devotion, 
but enlightened also by the grace of an 
apostle, for he saw in it the infallible oracle, 
charged to confirm the whole Church in jus- 
tice, in holiness and in truth, sometimes by 
the strokes of justice, sometimes by deci- 
sions on points of doctrine, sometimes by 
paternal exhortations. In return for this 
devotion what blessings have descended from 
the Holy See on the Order of St. Dominic, 
on its teaching, on its confraternities, on all 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 47 



/ 



its religious both friars and nuns, within 
and also without the pale of Christendom. 

Prayer — O Lord, Thou art the Christ, the 
Son of the living God, I believe in Thee, and 
I desire to serve Thee, my God, worthily. 

Practice — Say the second Psalm for the tri- 
umph of the Church and of the Sovereign 
Pontiff over all his enemies, especially those 
who abuse the civil power with which they 
are invested. 

JANUARY 19. 

Bl. Andrew Peschiera, C, O. P. 

Although very badly treated by his broth- 
ers in his youth, when he left the world to 
embrace the religious life, Bl. Andrew kissed 
their feet and humbly asked their blessing, 
leaving them his stalY as a keepsake, the 
only object he possessed. This dry stick, 
the gift of a saint, put forth shoots and 
worked miracles. Bl. Andrew was formed 
to religious perfection at St. Mark's in Flor- 
ence, under Bl. Antony della Chiesa. Obedi- 
ence was his favorite virtue and he often 
said: "To be obedient and to be a saint 
is one and the same thing." Struck by the 
words of Holy Scripture: "I am sent to 
preach the Gospel to the poor" (St. Luke iv, 
18), he began to preach to the poor of north- 



48 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

ern Italy, to the laborers, shepherds, vine- 
dressers and others the adorable mysteries 
of our Redemption. He took pleasure in 
receiving hospitality in poor cottages and in 
being invited to share the humble fare of 
chestnuts and millet bread. He had acquired 
so much esteem by his virtues that by a few 
words he could persuade the most obstinate 
heretics, and his presence also was enough 
to calm sedition among the people. He re- 
fused all charges except that of begging for 
the community, an office which suited his 
humility. After forty years of this hard but 
consoling apostolate, he rendered his soul 
to God at an advanced age, after working 
numerous miracles (1480). 

Prayer — O my God, pardon and fill with 
graces all those who ofTend or act against me. 

Practice — Do not be ashamed to beg for 
good works. 

JANUARY 30. 

Ven. John Lopez, Bishop, O. P. 

After having fulfilled, in the Convent of 
Valladolid, all the duties of a perfect relig- 
ious, an excellent preacher and an enlight- 
ened teacher, Ven. John Lopez was appointed 
Bishop of Calabria by Clement VHI, and 
modelled his life on that of the saintly bish- 
ops of ancient times. It was his daily care to 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 49 



/ 



reform the lives of the people, to be a father 
to the poor, a protector of widows and or- 
phans and the refuge of all in distress. He 
also founded charitable institutions for 
those in need, and, while always making the 
glory of God and the salvation of souls his 
final aims, he did not hesitate to descend to 
the smallest practical details in carrying out 
his sublime end. By means of prayer and 
tears, he obtained permission to renounce 
his office, and, at the age of eighty, returned 
to his convent where he lived with all the 
fervor of a novice. He passed his time in 
prayer and in writing several works, the best 
known of which is his "History of the Or- 
der of St. Dominic." He also wrote short 
treatises on the Blessed Sacrament of the 
Altar, on the Rosary, and on preparation 
for death, his favorite theme. He fell asleep 
peacefully and piously in the Lord, aged 
one hundred and eight years. 

Prayer — My God, how shameful for me 
to be so cowardly in overcoming the small- 
est difficulties in the way of holiness and to 
long for rest when I have not even begun 
to serve Thee! 

Practice — Employ not only zeal but order 
in your good works — order in the work you 
undertake and order in the way you carry 
it out. 

4 



50 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JANUARY 21. 

St. Agnes, V. M. 

St. Ambrose, St. Jerome and other Doc- 
tors of the Church have highly exalted this 
holy virgin, as summing up in her life all 
the glories of the virgin martyrs; the deli- 
cacy of their purity, the firmness of their 
faith, the ardor of their love for Christ their 
Spouse, the firmness and boldness of their 
answers to their oppressors. At the age of 
thirteen, she hastened to execution as to a 
marriage feast, adorned, not with flowers, 
but with virtues. Not knowing what death 
is, she was ready to meet it in order to bear 
witness to her faith in Jesus. The flames to 
which she was at first condemned spared 
her, with that kind of knowledge of the 
rights of their Creator and eagerness to 
defend them which has belonged to material 
things from the time of their creation, and 
all their fury was turned against the pagans. 
The judge then condemned her to be be- 
headed. St. Agnes prayed and bowed her 
head serenely, the executioner alone trem- 
bled. At last he gave the blow and the 
saint fell, covered with blood as with a royal 
nuptial robe, a martyr to faith and to vir- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 51 

ginity. Many holy Dominican nuns, espe- 
cially St. Agnes of Montepulciano, had a 
great devotion to her and loved to bear her 
name, which recalls Jesus — the Saint of God, 
the model of innocence and sweetness. 

Prayer — "I love Christ and I will serve 
Him only" (Words of St. Agnes, V., M.). 

Practice — In your intercourse with others, 
relate some instance of the love of Jesus for 
souls, or of the love of some souls for Jesus. 



JANUARY 22. 

Ven. Fr. Antony Massoulie, O. P. 

Ven. Fr. Antony received the habit at Tou- 
louse and soon gave evidence of an active, 
well-informed mind, a sound and delicate 
judgment, a tender, docile heart and a charm- 
ing modesty of demeanor. Employed in teach- 
ing philosophy, he rendered it as profitable 
to his own perfection as to the instruction 
of the students. He also studied mathemat- 
ics and astronomy in their relation to the 
science of theology and often reproached 
himself with having too great an attraction 
for these studies. Havin.sf been made So- 



52 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

cius to the Master General in Rome, he con- 
verted, as much by his virtue as by his 
knowledge of Hebrew, a celebrated Rabbi, 
to the great admiration of all Italy. About 
this time true piety was in danger from the 
erroneous assertions and insinuations of 
Quietism. Under pretext of leading the soul 
to a pure love, free from all self-interest, it 
discouraged some and led others into a false 
mysticism, contrary to the nature of man, 
who can and ought to seek his happiness in 
the accomplishment of duty and the pos- 
session of God. In this way it came about 
that this heresy lessened among the faithful 
that measure of divine love which it pretended 
to increase. Fr. Massoulie labored to refute 
this error by his treatises on "Divine Love" 
and on ''True Prayer/' It is believed that 
at the hour of his death several saints, among 
others St. Raymund of Pennafort, came to 
assure him of eternal happiness (1706). 

Prayer — How good and wise Thou art, O 
my God, to make my happiness Thine honor! 

Practice — Make three acts of love of Ood, 
love of complaisance in His perfections, love 
of gratitude for His gifts and love of the 
desire of possessing Him always. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 53 

JANUARY 23. 

St. Kaymund of Pennafort, C, O. P. 

At the age of forty-seven St. Raymund 
renounced his canonry, the fame of which 
he enjoyed throughout Spain and Italy and 
the privilege attaching to a former profes- 
sorship, in order to enter among the Friars 
Preachers. Later on he became General of 
the Order, and the Pope not only gave him 
the most important work with regard to 
Canon Law, but also confided to him the 
care of his conscience. One of the penances 
which he most willingly gave the Holy 
Father in confession was to take in hand 
with care and solicitude the affairs of the 
poor. In order to quit the court of the King 
of Aragon, who led a scandalous life and 
nevertheless refused to let the saint go, 
knowing that to do so would bring on him- 
self a sure humiliation, St. Raymund trav- 
elled one hundred and sixty miles over the 
sea with his black cappa for a boat and his 
staff for a mast. He died at the age of. 
nearly a hundred years (1275). Four sen- 
tences from the lessons of his Office will 
suffice for his praise and for our imitation: 
(1) Fame, far from dazzling him, inspired 
him with an ever more lowly opinion of 



54 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

himself. (2) By his obedience, he always 
held himself in readiness to act on the least 
sign from his superiors. (3) He practiced 
poverty most exactly, as a short path to 
salvation. (4) Prayer was his nourishment 
and, if he lacked time for it, he understood 
how to steal it. He is invoked in the Liturgy 
as the special minister of the sacrament of 
penance (1275). 

Prayer — St. Raymund, obtain for me grace 
to guard carefully the grace of absolution 
and to remember the counsel given me in 
confession. 

Practice — Do nothing, and avoid even a 
look, which may seem to approve of scan- 
dal or evil words. 

JANUARY 24. 

Bl. Marcolinus, C, O. P. 

Bl. Marcolinus entered the Order at the 
age of ten and remained in it until he was 
eighty. There is nothing to indicate that 
he was much engaged in preaching. His 
apostolate was rather inside the convent, 
where he labored for the maintenance and 
increase of regular observance, which is the 
foundation and protection of the exterior 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 55 

ministry in the Order of St. Dominic. He 
loved to help the lay brothers in their man- 
ual work and to teach little children. His 
knees were hardened by long prayers and 
his life became a series of ecstasies in which 
he was insensible to everything around him, 
so that it was necessary to fetch him from 
his cell for meals. The only thing he heard 
was the elevation bell at Holy Mass, but 
so carefully did he conceal these heavenly 
favors under a veil of humility that his breth- 
ren merely thought him sleepy. The image 
of Our Blessed Lady before which he used 
to pray often spoke to him, and his love of 
Mary, instead of being only a sentiment, 
showed itself in deeds, giving him a heart 
overflowing with mercy. His charity to- 
wards all was admirable and gained for him 
the title of "Father of the poor." An un- 
known child published the news of his death 
throughout the city, and the people began 
to honor him as a saint (1397). 

Prayer — O my God, grant that I may truly 
seek humiliations and not merely to appear 
humble. 

Practice — As far as possible without neg- 
lecting your duties, seek retreat from the 
world and prayer, to-day even more than 
usual. 



56 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JANUARY 35. 

The Conversion of St. Paul. 

The love of predominating had taken such 
a hold of Saul that he boldly resolved to 
triumph over Christianity in the persons of 
its first members. These he undertook to 
bring from Damascus to Jerusalem in 
chains, so that thenceforth they should no 
longer preach the scandal of a God dead 
on a Cross. But while he went on his way, 
breathing forth threats, Jesus stopped him, 
blinded him, and threw him to the ground by 
a single word. Saul at once humbled him- 
self and let himself be led by the hand like 
a child, and though only just converted, he 
merited by his love to be made the Apostle 
of the nations. He has since been known by 
the name of Paul. Great miracle of divine 
power indeed, which sometimes, as St. 
Thomas observes, moves a soul with such 
vehemence that it changes the will acting 
in opposition to divine grace in the very act 
of resistance, and makes it attain at a bound 
to the perfection of justice. St. Dominic, 
who had received the apostolic spirit so 
abundantly that according to some authors 
it was seen to descend upon him in the form 
of a fiery tongue, would naturally have a 
great attraction for the apostle by excel- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 57 

lence. He carried about the Epistles of St. 
Paul everywhere, meditated on them con- 
stantly and often explained them before the 
prelates of the Pontifical Court, in his ca- 
pacity as Master of the Sacred Palace. May 
we also relish them and through St. Paul 
drink in the pure, vigorous sap of divine 
grace that flows from the Holy Spirit. 

Prayer — Say often with St. Paul at his 
conversion: "Lord, what wilt Thou have 
me to do?" 

Practice — Examine whether you have not 
persecuted Jesus Christ by resisting His in- 
spirations, perhaps by depreciating those 
who try to promote pietyt 



JANUARY 26. 

Bl. Margaret of Hungary, V., O. P. 

When but a child in her mother's arms, 
Bl. Margaret was offered by her father, King 
Bela, to God as a tender victim for the 
driving out of the Tartar hordes, who were 
laying waste the whole kingdom. Penetrated 
with this spirit of self-sacrifice to which she 
seemed to be destined, she embraced with 
generous love all the austerities of the clois- 
ter. She made her profession at the age of 
twelve in the hands of Bl. Humbert, who 
had been elected Master General of the Or- 



58 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

der at the Chapter of Buda and who had 
fallen ill in Hungary. Her great compunc- 
tion of heart led her to add to the Divine 
Office at one time a whole Psalter, at an- 
other a thousand ejaculatory prayers along 
with a thousand inclinations in honor of 
God the Father, or of the Holy Ghost, or 
of Our Lady. One of her favorite practices 
of piety was to hold the Communion cloth 
for the Sisters. Her love of God overflowed 
in works of charity to her Sisters and she 
devoted herself especially to those afflicted 
with any contagious disease. Seeing her 
one day praying and doing penance for the 
troubles of the Church, some one said to 
her: "Why distress yourself so? In what 
does it concern you?" ''What!" she replied, 
''is not the Church the mother of every 
Christian?" She died at the age of twenty- 
eight (1270). She is especially invoked 
against malarial fevers her monastery having 
been built on an island exposed to this 
scourge. 

Prayer — O Blessed Margaret, obtain light 
for earthly princes to understand that, in 
maintaining religion, they further their own 
interests and that of their people. 

Practice — Say the "Miserere" to atone for 
the faults of your country and to obtain its 
salvation. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 59 

JANUARY 27. 

St. John Chrysostom, Bishop, C. and D. 

The marvellous eloquence of St. John won 
for him the surname of Chrysostom, or 
golden mouth. His writings ranked him as 
one of the four great doctors of the Greek 
Church. Often while he was writing, St. 
Paul was seen inspiring him with thoughts 
worthy of the great mysteries which he was 
explaining. As his merits became more 
known, so his modesty and humility in- 
creased accordingly. Exiled from Constan- 
tinople on account of his firmness in re- 
proving the great, he saw in a dream St. 
Basilisic, martyr, who said to him: "John, 
my brother, to-morrow we shall be together." 
He died while making the sign of the Cross. 
His works on the Holy Scriptures are par- 
ticularly valuable. Once when St. Thomas 
was walking in the neighborhood of Paris, 
a student said to him: "Master, should you 
like to possess this great city?" "I would 
much rather," he replied simply, "have the 
commentaries of St. John Chrysostom on 
St. Matthew." His beautiful "Treatise on 
Virginity" and the three works against the 
enemies of the monastic life are also much 
praised. They were composed at the time 
when Valens was trying to enroll the monks 



GO SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

by force in his armies, as well as the sec- 
ulars of his Empire. The saint shows the 
excellence of the monastic state, so specially 
suited to the acquisition of virtue, and he 
exonerates the monks from the unjust re- 
proaches and contemptuous names heaped 
upon them by certain Catholics, who were 
better friends of the Empire of Caesar than 
of that of God and the Church (407). 

Prayer — O Jesus, be Thou our Teacher, 
Thou Who art not only the Mouth of Gold, 
but the Divine Word itself! 

Practice — Before giving advice, first con- 
sult God (in prayer). 



JANUARY 28. 

Translation of St. Thomas Aquinas. 

Incredible though it seems, the body of 
St. Thomas remained many years far from 
his religious brethren and without the hon- 
ors which were due to it. Pope Urban V 
restored this precious treasure to the Order, 
and after long reflection he decided that the 
relic should go to enrich Toulouse, in pref- 
erence to other cities (1) because of the 
large, solemn and beautiful church which our 
Fathers possessed there, (2) on account of 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 61 

the flourishing university in which they 
taught, (3) because of the notable piety of 
the people of Toulouse. The relics remained 
for a month at the Church of Notre Dame 
de Prouille, where they worked many mir- 
acles, among others that of raising a dead 
person to life. At Toulouse more than fifty 
thousand people with torches in their hands 
escorted the precious reliquary, and miracles 
were performed there also by the interces- 
sion of the holy Doctor (1389). This day is 
the patronal feast of the Confraternity called 
"the Angelic Warfare," which has for its 
end to increase among the faithful, and above 
all among students, that beautiful virtue of 
which St. Thomas is at once both the type 
and the patron. The badge of this Confra- 
ternity is the blest cord, made on the model 
of that with which the angels girded St. 
Thomas. The obligations are light, but the 
advantages enjoyed by members are numer- 
ous. St. Aloysius Gonzaga, the lily of inno- 
cence, belonged to it. 

Prayer — St. Thomas Aquinas, who didst 
desire to be buried among thy brethren, en- 
able us worthily to venerate thy relics, and 
above all to possess thy spirit. 

Practice — Propagate devotion to the cord 
of St. Thomas. 



62 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JANUARY 39. 

St. Francis de Sales, B. and D. 

St. Francis founded the Order of the Vis- 
itation, whose members he desired should 
practice ardent charity and complete sub- 
jection and apply themselves to the perfect 
accomplishment of little things. He was 
able to preserve the most unalterable sweet- 
ness under irritating circumstances, and thus 
gained many souls among both Protestants 
and Catholics. "Who does not know," he 
used to say, "that you can catch more flies 
with a little honey than with a hundred bar- 
rels of vinegar?" This sweetness and gen- 
tleness was the fruit of earnest effort, as was 
proved after his death by the clots of blood 
which had formed on his heart, through the 
violence he had used to overcome himself. 
His most beautiful work is the "Treatise 
on the Love of God." During his stay in 
Rome in 1608 he became afililiated to the 
Order of St. Dominic, and it was to two of 
our Fathers of the Convent of Lyons that 
he entrusted the examination of his book on 
the "Devout Life." Pius IX declared him 
a Doctor of the Church. In truth, apart 
from his works of controversy against here- 
tics, he may well be called the Doctor of 
true devotion, for having explained clearly 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 63 

from its foundations the application of laws 
to various states of life, and corrected devia- 
tions from them. He also labored in the 
most successful manner for the triumph of 
the faith, for the sanctification of priests, 
the perfection of religious, both men and 
women, the conversion of worldlings and 
the salvation of souls (1622). 

Prayer — St. Francis de Sales, teach me to 
make piety attractive to all. 

Practice — Read the eighth chapter of Book 
III of the "Devout Life." 



JANUARY 30. 

Bl. John Aurias, O. P. (Peru) . 

Although already of mature age when he 
entered the Order, Bl. John made a fervent 
novitiate, being noted especially for his child- 
like simplicity. As the old chronicles say, 
"it is a difficult and meritorious work for 
those who have enjoyed full liberty, and 
have been accustomed to judge for them- 
selves on all matters and to command others, 
to embrace the religious life, for such, for 
example, as enter, being already priests." 

He fell, however, into a state of tepidity 
on account of his too great love of human 



64 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

science in preference to the divine, and also 
through over-anxiety regarding his health 
after an illness. A vision of God as an 
angry Judge converted him and caused him 
to lead a life of recollection and penance. 
When urged to mitigate his penances on 
certain days, he replied: "My body requires 
to be conquered on these days as on all 
others." His special devotion consisted in 
offering all his actions to Mary, that she 
might render them more agreeable to Jesus 
by investing them with her own merits. He 
desired to die without causing any incon- 
venience to his brethren, and predicted that 
he would do so. This proved true, for, after 
having celebrated Holy Mass with extraor- 
dinary devotion, he fell asleep in the Lord 
during his thanksgiving, seated in his stall, 
with his rosary in his left hand and the right 
placed on his heart, at the age of seventy 
(1609). 

Prayer — O my God, may I rather die than 
fall into relaxation! 

Practice — Place yourself in spirit before 
the judgment seat of God, and seek to find 
out that for which you will be the most 
severely reproached, in order that you may 
correct it promptly and thoroughly, while 
there is still time. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 65 

JANUARY 31. 

St. Peter Nolasco. 

This saint was born in Languedoc, at Mas- 
Saintes Puelles, a village so named because, 
during the times of persecution, three young 
girls took refuge there and evidently at- 
tained to a high degree of sanctity. Provi- 
dence, which accomplishes its designs by the 
most unexpected means, led him into Spain, 
charged by his friend Simon de Montfort 
with the education of the son of Peter of 
Aragon, after the defeat and death of the 
latter at Muret. Peter Nolasco was cut to 
the heart by the ravages of the Albigensian 
heresy and hastened to get away from it. 
In Patalonia, inspired by the Blessed Virgin, 
together with St. Raymund Pennafort, third 
Master General, O. P., and the King of 
Aragon, he instituted the Order of Mercy, 
in which a fourth vow bound the members, 
when necessary, to offer themselves as pris- 
oners for the release of Christians captured 
by the Mahomedans. St. Dominic in one 
of his journeys held friendly intercourse with 
Peter Nolasco, who also had the privilege 
of often hearing his angel guardian drawing 
him to heavenly things. He died in saying 
the words of Ps. 110: "The Lord hath sent 
redemption unto His people.** He is rep* 



66 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

resented carried to the choir by angels, in 
allusion to his eagerness for the Divine 
Office, even when enfeebled by age. His 
efforts to celebrate Holy Mass at midnight 
on Christmas Eve exhausted his strength 
and hastened his happy death (1256). 

Prayer — O Lord, Thou hast said, "He that 
commits sin is the slave of sin''; preserve 
me from this slavery worse than death. 

Practice — Be filled with the sentiments of 
St. Catherine of Sienna, who called herself 
in her letters "the servant and slave of the 
servants of Jesus Christ." 



FEBRUARY 1. 

The Three Martyrs of Urgel, O. P. 

The Bl. Peter Pons was charged by the 
Holy See to follow the Albigensian heretics 
into the Pyrenees, where they had established 
themselves in order to be able more easily 
to overrun both France and Spain. He came 
to Urgel on this dangerous mission and suc- 
ceeded so well in unmasking the errors of 
the heretics, that in their hatred they poi- 
soned him. As soon as this deed became 
known, the Bishop of Urgel came with his 
clergy to fetch the sacred remains, but, 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 67 

night coming on them before their return, 
Almighty God deigned to keep the sun 
above the horizon until they reached the 
walls of the town. For this reason, the serv- 
ant of God is represented holding a vessel 
containing poison in one hand and a sun 
in the other (1224). 

Urgel has the honor of possessing, besides 
the bodies of SS. Lucy and Magdalen, that 
of Bl. Bernard of Traverse, religious of the 
Convent of Toulouse, who was cruelly 
stabbed for his zeal in defending the faith 
(1260). Far from trembling at the remem- 
brance of these two crimes, Bl. Peter of 
Cadireta in his turn came to uphold in the 
same town the interests of the Church, 
strong in the power of obedience to his 
superiors. The heretics attacked him and 
stoned him, as the Jews did St. Stephen of 
old, and, being struck on the head, he ren- 
dered up his soul to God (1272). 

Prayer — O Blessed Martyrs! give us a 
holy boldness in defense of the faith. 

Examination — How do you practice the 
holy firmness of the martyrs? Is not yours 
a mistaken firmness which allows itself to be 
led into extremes and produces hardness and 
obstinacy? Have you a true firmness which 
chooses what God wills and then follows it 
with order, perseverence and self-sacrifice? 



68 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

FEBRUARY 2. 

Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 

Bl. Henry Suso, O. P., prepared himself 
during three days to keep this feast and cele- 
brated it in the interior of his soul with 
special joy, receiving the Infant Jesus in his 
arms from the hands of His Mother, press- 
ing Him to his heart, gazing with inexpress- 
ible happiness into His shining eyes, at His 
lovely mouth. His little hands. His body 
white as snow and all His members trans- 
figured with celestial beauty. Do you also 
imitate his fervor in contemplating Mary's 
obedience to the law, the humility which 
leads her to allow no difference being made 
between herself and other women, her sweet 
devotion and recollection in the Temple? 
This feast is also called the Presentation of 
Jesus in the Temple, and gives its title to 
the second j*oyful mystery of the Rosary; 
also Candlemas, on account of the candles 
which are lighted, in accordance with the 
rubrics in memory of those words of the Can- 
ticle of Simeon: "A light to enlighten the 
Gentiles." We should also meditate on the 
ardent desires and penitential spirit of Holy 
Simeon and of Anna. But especially think 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 69 

of the two doves which Mary offers in sac- 
rifice in place of her Son, for they represent 
the two lives in us. One of the doves had 
to be sacrificed in order that the other might 
be set free; so also must our natural self 
be sacrificed that the supernatural may take 
its flight to God. What serious and beau- 
tiful lessons! 

Prayer — My God, when shall I say my 
"Nunc dimittis"? 

Practice — Meditate on the "Inviolata" be- 
fore a statue of Mary. 



FEBRUARY 3. 

Bl. Matthew of Paris, O. P. 

Whilst he was dean of the Church of St. 
Vincent the Martyr at Castres, Bl. Matthew 
saw St. Dominic rapt in ecstasy and raised 
an arm's length above the ground. This 
wonder attracted him to the saint, who ac- 
cepted him as his child and made him the 
first superior of the Convent of Paris. 
Though the Order had received many Papal 
Bulls, it had not yet acquired full autonomy, 
or an independent footing, the right of cele- 



70 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

brating the Divine Office in its houses, of 
burying the dead, or of exercising the sacred 
ministry for the benefit of souls. Bl. Matthew 
labored with a rare prudence and great per- 
severance and moderation to obtain these 
privileges for his convent. He succeeded in 
winning over for this object the opinion of 
good people, by giving them to understand 
that, according to the words of the Holy 
See itself, this greater freedom "is for the 
glory of God, not for any motive of tem- 
poral interest" and that the Friars, in form- 
ing a more closely united family with a bet- 
ter regulated apostolate, far from upsetting 
the well-being of the different dioceses, 
serve the interests of souls with greater 
profit. As many as five hundred to six hun- 
dred religious took the habit under this holy 
prior, several among them are honored with 
the title of Blessed. Bl. Matthew had the 
happiness of giving the last sacraments to Bl. 
Reginald, and died himself full of years and 
merits (1227). 

Prayer — Give us, O Lord, the bread of life 
and the water of Heaven" (Words of vSt. 
Dominic on giving the habit to Bl. Matthew). 

Practice — Make a spiritual Communion in 
the evening by way of Viaticum". 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 71 

FEBRUARY 4. 

Anniversary of Our Fathers and Mothers. 

When a religious separates himself from 
his relatives in all that regards their tem- 
poral interests and purely human intercourse, 
he begins to attach himself more strongly to 
them by the ties of grace, above all to his 
father and mother, to whom he owes, after 
God, his very being and that Christian edu- 
cation which is the true foundation of his 
religious vocation. The more he learns to 
value the goods of eternity, so much the 
more ardently does he desire that they may 
share them, and he feels specially bound to 
help his parents, because in leaving them he 
has asked of them a great sacrifice. The 
Order then comes to his assistance, adopts 
the father and mother of each religious and 
assures to them perpetual suffrages. God 
has often made known to religious, in order 
to incite them to this devotion, how much 
these prayers are needed and how efficacious 
they are. St. Louis Bertrand heard his 
father distinctly pronounce these words: 
"Louis, my son, have pity on me, make sat- 
isfaction to my Judge." The prayer of the 
saint hastened his deliverance. A fervent 
nun, having deprived herself of drinking on 



72 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

a hot day in order to assist the suffering 
souls, Bl. Emily saw an angel extinguish with 
a cup of water the flames which were tor- 
menting the father of this religious. To- 
day's anniversary is well calculated to inspire 
us with filial charity. The Holy See has at- 
tached to it several indulgences, as also to 
the three others in the year, July 12, Septem- 
ber 5 and November 10. 

Prayer — Think of your friends as saying 

to you: "Have pity on me, at least you my 

friends." 

» 
Practice — Say the five sorrowful mysteries 

for your dead relations. 



FEBRUARY 5. 

Ven. M. Catherine of St. Magdalen, O. P. 

Brought up at Aumale in the midst of 
worldly society, Catherine was altogether 
opposed to the idea of the religious life, and 
when one of her aunts, who was a Domin- 
ican nun, introduced her to the community 
as a future postulant, she replied by a mock- 
ing and incredulous smile. Nevertheless 
from that moment she felt an attraction for 
the religious life and in the end she obeyed 
it. Her vivid imagination led her to offer 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 73 

to Our Lord certain prayers and penances 
as gifts representing the cradle, swathing- 
bands, etc., and these practices, instead of 
leading her into puerilities, developed in her 
heart a solid, practical devotion. Almighty 
God allowed her to be tried by horrible 
temptations, without even allowing her the 
comfort of understanding that, the more she 
suffered from them, the less voluntary were 
they. Her only brother was killed in a duel 
and for a whole year she was cruelly tor- 
mented with doubts as to his salvation, but 
she came to know that she had obtained 
grace for his soul by her patience in bear- 
ing several serious maladies which lasted all 
her life. "How unhappy are those souls," 
she said when dying, "who neglect to work 
for their perfection." She had the foresight 
to write beforehand whilst in health the acts 
she wished to be suggested to her at the 
hour of death, and at that time she united 
herself to them in a silence, full of fervor. 
She desired to be buried with her billet of 
the perpetual Rosary in her hand (1672). 

Prayer — "O death, thou art my sister, my 
friend and faithful one" (Words of V. M. 
Catherine). 

Practice — Zeal in propagating devotion to 
the perpetual Rosary. 



74 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

FEBRUARY 6. 

Ven. Fr. Peter Girardel, O. P. 

He brought to the noviceship a very lively 
and exurberant temperament, but he suc- 
ceeded so well in overcoming* it by grace 
that no one ever saw him angry, or heard 
him say a useless word. He ably assisted 
Fr. Michaelis in the restoration of regular 
discipline, which had become relaxed in 
Provence and Languedoc, owing to the evil 
times. Knowing that the cause of this re- 
laxation was the neglect of prayer, Fr. Peter 
set himself to reestablish its practice and, 
in order to render it. more attractive, easy 
and fruitful, he composed a scheme of sub- 
jects for meditation. A little book on the 
presence of God, founded on the Pater, is 
attributed to him, though inserted by 
Arnaud among the works of St. Teresa. 
His apostolic zeal caused him several times 
to face death prepared for him at the hands 
of the Calvinists. He never preached with- 
out having first mortified his body and 
prayed with tears. He was several times 
surrounded by celestial light when praying, 
and it was attested that he worked a number 
of miracles. He ended his days in Rome. 
The Father General Rudolph, who assisted 
him on his death-bed, having asked of him 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 75 

some words of edification, he said: "Action 
is everything," repeating in another form 
the sentence of the Apostle: "Faith without 
works is dead," and also those of Our Sa- 
vious to the Jewish lawyer who had just 
enumerated the precepts of the decalogue: 
"This do and thou shalt live" (1633). 

Prayer — By faith in Thee, O my God, man 
knows Thy will and submits to Thee his 
own, which thus becomes active and power- 
ful (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — -Practice some mortification be- 
fore undertaking any work of zeal. 



FEBRUARY 7. 

St. Romuald, Founder of the Camaldolese 

Monks. 

Whilst living in the world Bl. Romuald 
went into a convent to do voluntary pen- 
ance for forty days for having acted as sec- 
ond in a duel. The exhortations of a lay 
brother decided him in his determination to 
give himself entirely to God. Marinus, his 
master in the monastic life, used often to 
strike him on the head when he made mis- 
takes in reading his lesson, in order to cor- 
rect him and exercise him in patience. In- 



76 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

stead of complaining or being discouraged 
the humble novice, who felt that he was 
losing the hearing of the left ear, which 
usually received the blows, contented him- 
self with asking his master to strike him 
on the right ear instead. Marinus, filled 
with admiration, ceased his rough treat- 
ment. Romuald, after having followed the 
rule of St. Benedict, saw in a dream, in the 
desert, a ladder on which angels ascended 
and descended. This was a figure of the 
Camaldolese hermits, of which God wished 
him to become the founder. They wear, 
like the sons of St. Dominic, a white habit, 
the symbol of their purity of life; they 
combine the exercises of the eremitic life 
with those of the cenobite and by their 
austerities recall the lives of the Fathers 
of the Thebaid. Those who are the most 
advanced in contemplation are even allowed 
to live entirely as recluses. The great king. 
St. Henry, had a great admiration for the 
virtues of St. Romuald, who died at the age 
of nearly one hundred and twenty years 
(1027). 

Prayer — O my God, I can never be repre- 
hended as much as I deserve. 

Examination — According to Bl. Humbert, 
those are the most loved who are the most 
harshly reprimanded, as in the words of 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 77 

Holy Scripture, ♦"Those I love I not only 
rebuke, but chastise" (Apoc. iii, 19). Is it 
in this spirit that you receive or give cor- 
rections? 



FEBRUARY 8. 

St. John of Matha and St. Felix of Valois, 
Founders of the Trinitarian Order. 

Jolin of Matha was born at Faucon, in 
Provence, and showed himself from his ear- 
liest childhood so humble that he consid- 
ered himself born to wash the feet of others. 
On the day of his ordination, when the 
bishop said at the imposition of hands: "Re- 
ceive the Holy Ghost," a fiery radience was 
seen upon his head. God prepared him by 
three years of contemplation in the desert 
to found, with St. Felix of Valois, the Or- 
der of the Trinity for the redemption of 
captives. France was the cradle of this new 
Institute, which at first Innocent III hesitated 
to approve. But during the elevation at 
Mass he saw an angel clothed in the habit 
of this Order (that is, a white habit with a 
red and blue cross), with his arms crossed 
and holding by each hand a slave, one a 
Christian, the other a Moor, as if offeriiig 
one in exchange for the other. At this sign 
from Heaven the Pope gave his consent. 



78 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Felix of Valois died in 1212, after having 
founded many hospitals and religious 
houses. St. John of Matha died in Rome, to 
the last exhorting his sons to perseverance 
(1213). St. Dominic was among his friends 
and admirers. Had not he himself, while 
yet a young student, offered himself to slav- 
ery to ransom a captive and restore him to 
his mother? Later on the Friars Preachers 
defended the Trinitarian Order against pow- 
erful opposition. 

Prayer — Where should I be to-day, O my 
Jesus, if thou hadst not redeemed me by 
Thy blood? 

Practice — Pray for prisoners who are 
tempted to hatred towards those who have 
punished them, or to discouragement on 
account of their dishonor. 



FEBRUARY 9. 

Bl. Bernard of Scammaca, O. P. 

After a very pious and promising child- 
hood, Bl. Bernard fell into grave disorders 
in his youth, and even the remorse which 
tormented him did not convert his soul. A 
serious wound in his leg obliged him to 
cease his irregular life and was the means 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 79 

employed by God to bring him to a better 
mind. Cast down to the earth like St. Paul, 
he consecrated himself to the Order of St. 
Dominic, and after severe penance he be- 
came a model of regularity. When praying 
in the garden the birds came flying about 
him and perched on his hands and shoulders. 
One night when the brother porter came 
to call him to an errand of charity, he found 
Bl. Bernard in ecstasy, holding a book which 
a beautiful child lighted up with a torch. 
In this way God sometimes, not content 
with restoring repentant sinners to his full 
friendship, even treats them with a special 
preference, so as almost to make innocent 
souls iealous, if there were such a thing as 
jealousy among the saints (1486). 

At the translation of his relics, a gentle- 
man of the neighborhood who contemptu- 
ously said: "Let us go and see this so-called 
saint whom the Friars have recently been 
trying to pass off on us," fell from his horse 
and broke his leg, but on making amends to 
the blessed he was completely cured. 

Prayer — "Purify me, O my God, and I 
shall be as white as snow." 

Practice — Lower your eyes modestly in a 
spirit of compunction and at the remem- 
brance of your sins, or raise them with con- 
trition and confidence towards your crucifix. 



80 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

FEBRUARY 10. 

St. Scholastica, V. 

St. Scholastica was born at Norcia, be- 
tween the Sabine country and Umbria. Her 
mother's name was Abundance. She herself 
earned the name of Scholastica, or scholar, 
from being all her life a faithful learner in 
the school of perfection. It was she who 
first introduced among nuns the rule of St. 
Benedict, her brother, a rule which has 
since been embraced by so many empresses, 
princesses and countless holy souls. She 
recommended her religious to shun, as far 
as possible, conversations even with pious 
persons, in order to preserve a spirit of rec- 
ollection and prayer, and she was the first 
to set them an example in this respect. 
Although her interviews with St. Benedict 
were so praiseworthy and free from all that 
was purely human, she held them only once 
a year. This was sufficient to nourish her 
soul for a whole year and through her the 
souls of her Sisters, to whom she always 
gave an account of her conferences. On the 
occasion of their last meeting, she, having 
a presentiment that she would never see him 
again, obtained by her prayers a sudden 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 81 

and heavy torrent of rain. Thus prevented 
from leaving, her brother in spite of his 
complaints and protestations, was obliged 
to remain and spend the night in holy con- 
ference with St. Scholastica. When she 
died, St. Benedict saw her soul mount up 
to Heaven in the form of a white dove, and 
instead of mourning he sang hymns of 
joy (643). 

Prayer — O my God, give me a taste for 
holy meditations and a disgust for worldly 
conversation. 

Practice — At recreation, speak of the hap- 
piness of belonging to God alone. 



FEBRUARY 11. 

Espousals of the Blessed Virgin. 

Mary and Joseph were united for the sake 
of the Divine Word, the Saviour of the 
world. Theirs was a true marriage which 
served to preserve their virginity, for Joseph, 
who had till then practiced this virtue, now 
embraced it by vow. It was a holy, spiritual 
union, in which their souls, like two stars 
darting forth their rays continually on each 



82 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Other, consecrated and beautified their im- 
maculate purity and rendered it more pleas- 
ing to God. What prudence, what union in 
prayer, what mutual assistance and venera- 
tion may we not admire in the conduct of 
these virgin spouses. Their union is a per- 
fect model of the spiritual relations which 
should exist between members of a Chris- 
tian family. Jesus loves to dwell in the 
homes where humility, mutual respect and 
chastity reign, as He dwelt in the holy house 
of Nazareth. He communicates to souls His 
spirit of recollection, His love of work, His 
prudence. His kindness and consolation. 
But the more precious are the gifts He 
brings, the easier it is to lose them by self- 
ishness and indevotion. How many good 
things have I not wasted thus? 

Prayer — ^Jesus, Mary, Joseph, may our 
family be formed on the model of thine 1 

Practice — Consider that, according to St. 
Thomas, there is a true union of corres- 
pondence between a fervent soul and God, 
far above any earthly union, but with the 
same threefold relation of faith, of indissolu- 
bility and of posterity. O my soul, how 
wonderful the love by which God wholly 
loves thee wholly! 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 83 

FEBRUARY 12. 

Bl. Reginald of Orleans, O. P. 

After having taught Canon Law and made 
a pilgrimage to Rome Bl. Reginald had re- 
solved to enter the Order and had even 
made his vows in the hands of St. Dominic, 
when he fell dangerously ill of fever. Ihe 
Blessed Virgin appeared to him, accompan- 
ied by SS. Catherine and Cecilia, and asked 
him what he most desired. By the advice 
of one of these saints, he left it to the wis- 
dom of Our Blessed Lady to do as she 
thought best. Then the Queen of Heaven 
cured him, anointed his feet 'to prepare him 
to preach the Gospel of peace, and gave him 
the habit which in her maternal goodness 
she had made and which she desired to see 
worn by her sons, the Friars Preachers, 
saying: "Behold the habit of thine Order." 
Bl. Reginald having regained his health, 
preached with such eloquence that he seemed 
like another Elias and was even compared to 
St. Paul. By his ability in governing, his 
prudence, charity and firmness, he became 
the right hand of St. Dominic, who seemed 
to be preparing him to be his successor. 
But God soon took him away from the love 



84 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

of his brethren. He had already done 
enough for the Order, in receiving and trans- 
mitting to it the Scapular of Miary, who 
has been called the Blessed Vestiarian of 
the Order. He died preaching by his words 
and works Jesus Christ and Him crucified 
and having his eyes raised, according to his 
custom, towards Heaven. 

Prayer — Blessed Reginald, favorite of the 
Queen of Heaven, obtain for us the inno- 
cence and humility symbolized by the black 
and white habit of the Friars Preachers. 

Practice — Kiss your scapular with respect, 
saying: "Monstra te esse Matrem." 



FEBRUARY 13. 

St. Catherine de Ricci, T., O. P. 

At the age of thirteen St. Catherine re- 
ceived the habit of St. Dominic in the Con- 
vent of the cloistered Third Order at Prato 
in Tuscany, of which she was for many years 
the superioress. God made known to her 
the temptations of the Sisters so well that 
she often prevented them from committing 
faults. By these delicate, gracious and char- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 85 

itable actions and by her wise counsel, as 
well as by her prayers, she did much good 
to persons in the world and to those of her 
own family, especially to her brothers, all 
the more as their youth, their wealth and 
their position in the midst of the world and 
its passions gave them a greater claim upon 
her tender and affectionate solicitude. Our 
Lord, in return for her love, gave her a 
ring, as well as the sacred stigmata, and 
detached Himself from the crucifix to come 
to her. Having offered herself to suffer the 
pains of purgatory in place of a certain per- 
son. Our Lord accepted her desire, so that 
her flesh was seen to be scorched, sparks 
flew out and her tongue became black as 
charcoal. The Sisters could not hold her 
hand and her cell became heated with her 
burning breath. Who shall say after this that 
the pains of purgatory are trifling? (1589). 

Prayer — May the uncertainty of our per- 
severance in the right way keep us in a 
spirit of humility and regard for our neigh- 
bor (St. Catherine de Ricci). 

Practice — Examine what good you try to 
do to your relations and friends, especially 
those who are most in danger in the world — 
by your words, by your example, or through 
your prayers. 



8Q SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

FEBRUARY 14. 

Bl. Nicholas Palea, O. P. 

At the age of eight years Bl. Nicholas be- 
gan to practice daily abstinence, because an 
angel who appeared to him said: "Child of 
obedience, thou shalt belong to an Order 
where perpetual abstinence is observed." 
In fact a sermon preached by St, Dominic at 
Bologna decided him to enter the Order. 
He had the happiness of having the holy 
Patriarch himself for his master in the re- 
ligious life, who, delighted with the inno- 
cence of Bl. Nicholas, often took him as 
companion on his missionary journeys. 
Having been appointed superior, he showed 
so much zeal and prudence that all he com- 
manded seemed easy and he drew into relig- 
ion many excellent subjects, whom he well 
knew how to guide amidst the storms of 
temptation. One of his novices being dan- 
gerously ill, the devil, transformed into an 
angel of light, made him vow such perpetual 
silence that he dared not even say his Ofilice 
and kept secret a grave fault omitted a long 
time before in confession. Enlightened by 
the man of God, he changed his life, con- 
fessed his sin and died a holy death. After 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 87 

forty years of an apostolate glorified by mir- 
acles and rich in fruit for the conversion of 
souls, Bl. Nicholas saw Brother Rao, also 
a disciple of St. Dominic and already dead, 
who appeared to him saying: "The Blessed 
Virgin sends word to you to prepare, for 
the crown of glory awaits you." And in a 
few days he quitted this land of exile (1255). 

Prayer — St. Dominic, obtain for me that 
I may become singularly lovable to you by 
sweetness and simplicity. 

Practice — Visit the altar of St. Dominic, 
or pray before his statue. 



FEBRUARY 15. 

Bl. Jordan of Saxony. 

After the death of St. Dominic Bl. Jordan 
was elected Master General, though only 
recently professed, and he soon gained all 
hearts by the sweetness of his government. 
He drew to the Order nearly a thousand 
novices, of whom the most celebrated was 
BL Albert the Great. He was also zealous 
for the progress of the Dominican nuns and 
his letters to Bl. Diana are masterpieces of 



88 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

gracefulness and dignity of style, combined 
with holy doctrine. Some of his sentences 
reveal the wisdom as well as the gentleness 
of his character. (1) He said: *'If I had 
studied science as much as I have studied 
the words of St. Paul 'I here made myself 
all things to all men' I should indeed be 
learned." (2) "As the life of the body is 
sustained by both food and drink, so the 
life of the soul is sustained by prayer and 
the study of the Holy Scripture." (3) "To 
obtain much fruit from prayer, keep to those 
subjects in which you experience most de- 
votion." (4) Having lost one of his eyes, he 
said to his brethren: "Rejoice with me, for 
I had two enemies, now I have only one " 
He was shipwrecked and drowned whilst 
returning from visiting the Province of the 
Holy Land, and, appearing to St. Lutgarde, 
he said to her: "I have passed from this 
world to glory, where I have a high place 
among the apostles and prophets" (1236). 

Prayer — Bl. Jordan, obtain for our supe- 
riors your spirit of wisdom and amiability. 

Practice — Show zeal full of gentleness to 
attract souls to the service of God, especially 
those who are starting on the way of holi- 
ness. Inspire them with confidence that they 
will succeed in the end through docility. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 89 

FEBRUARY 16. 

Ven. Fr. Gaspard of the Cross, O. P. 

This Portuguese religious, having been 
chosen one of twelve missionaries to go to 
the East Indies, carried the torch of faith 
as far as the forests of Cambodge. He 
landed in 1556 in this part of China, formerly 
evangelized by St. Thomas the Apos*tle, and 
in sight of which St. Francis Xavier died in 
1552, without having been able to enter it 
except in desire, God having reserved it for 
his brethren in religion to penetrate there 
in 1584. It was a most difficult work to 
preach the religion of a crucified God to 
this nation of six hundred and eighty mil- 
lions of inhabitants, full of pride in the an- 
tiquity of their race, led away by their 
knowledge, attached by all the habits of 
their daily life to the superstitious worship 
of their ancestors. Father Gaspard under- 
took this task bravely and even dared to 
overthrow the idols in one of the temples. 
After some time his zeal occasioned his 
banishment, and, returning to Portugal, he 
gave himself up to a contemplative life, for 
which he had as much aptitude as for an 
active one. But the plague having broken 
out, he left the peaceful solitude of his cell 



90 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

to devote himself to the dying, from whom 
he caught the disease. He had the double 
consolation of being a victim to charity and 
of causing the plague to cease, for, accord- 
ing to his prediction, his was the last death 
(1569). 

Prayer — O Jesus, forgive those who wor- 
ship idols, for they know not what they do. 

Practice — Thank God for the gift of faith 
and in prayer take faith for your torch. May 
even its shadows be to you a light and a 
guide. 

FEBRUARY 17. 

The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite 

Order. 

The seven were all noble Florentines, who 
instead of mixing themselves up with the 
factions and rivalries then so prevalent in 
that city, met at certain times to animate 
one another to progress in virtue and to give 
themselves up to exercises of piety. On 
the day of Our Lady's Nativity, they began 
to form a regular society, living together 
in a solitary place, in prayer and penitence, 
but without neglecting to inculcate peace 
and fervor amongst their neighbors. St. 
Peter, Martyr, O. P., encouraged them and 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 91 

exerted himself to obtain the approbation 
of the Holy See for their Institute. The 
chief founder, named Bonfilio, died in 1262. 
The members of this Order are called Ser- 
vites, because of their consecration to the 
service of Mary. They taught all to medi- 
tate on her sufferings on Calvary; these sor- 
rows of hers have indeed an intimate con- 
nection with the mystery of our Redemp- 
tion and wonderfully dispose the faithful of 
all conditions to benefit by its fruits in the 
details of their lives. For this end the Ser- 
vites propagate the use of the scapular of 
Our Lady's Seven Dolors, enriched with in- 
dulgences by Benedict XIII, O. P. These 
seven dolors of Mary are: (1) Simeon's 
prophecy of the sword which should pierce 
her soul; (2) the flight into Egypt; (3) the 
three days' loss of Jesus when He was 
twelve years old; (4) the meeting with Jesus 
on the way to Calvary; (5) the Crucifixion; 
(6) the descent from the Cross; (7) the 
burial of Jesus. 

Aspiration — "O Blessed Mother, as those 
who despise and turn from thee inevitably 
seek their own loss — so none who turn to 
thee and on whom thou deignest to look can 
ever perish" (St. Anselm). 

Practice — Try to spread devotion to the 
seven dolors and to the seven joys of Mary. 



92 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

FEBRUARY 18. 
Bl. Lawrence of Ripafracta, O. P. 

Bl. Lawrence was already a deacon when 
he entered the Order. He showed himseh* 
above all a child of obedience and a mirror 
of purity, and though an ulcer on his leg 
greatly tried his patience, it did not prevent 
him from laboring manfully for sixty years 
to restore regular discipline. Herein lay 
the great grace of his life, a grace which 
corresponded with the needs of the times. 
He had the discernment needed to form 
souls and was skilled in lighting up in the 
souls of those with whom he conversed the 
first spark of the love of God, leaving it to 
the slow action of grace to develop the first 
flame. He was careful to cultivate the spe- 
cial aptitudes of his religious, one for con- 
templation, another for the apostolate of 
art, as for example Bl. Angelico and Fra 
Benedetto his brother, a celebrated minia- 
ture painter. St. Antoninus was one of Bl. 
Lawrence's novices and took pride in being 
the heir and propagator of his spirit. When 
dying, Bl. Lawrence exhorted the brethren 
to seek always the glory of God and to main- 



o 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 9: 



tain unchanged the observances established 
by the Fathers in their religious life. "I 
grieve for my own loss," wrote St. Anto- 
ninus on his death, "for I shall receive no 
more those tender letters which he wrote 
to increase my zeal in fulfilling the duties 
of the pastoral office" (1457). 

Prayer — Bl. Lawrence, give us great con- 
stancy and regularity in all our exercises 
of devotion. 

Practice — Read chapter eighteen of Book 
I of the "Imitation of Jesus Christ." 



FEBRUARY 19. 

Bl. Alvarez of Cordova, O. P. 

On account of his prudence and virtues 
Bl. Alvarez was chosen as confessor to John 
II, King of Castile. But he obtained leave 
to quit the court and retired to a convent 
of strict observance, justly called "the Lad- 
der of Heaven," because in the solitude of 
retreat men are separated more and more 
from earthly things; ladder of Heaven be- 
cause it is the near, certain and happy end 
of so fervent and pure a life. He made a 



94 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and, having the 
souvenirs of the Passion vividly imprinted 
on his heart, Bl. Alvarez on his return, de- 
sired to have them always present before 
his eyes as food for pious thought for him- 
self and others. He had representations of 
the scenes of the Passion set up in the mon- 
astery and thus he is considered to have 
been one of the pioneers of that devotion 
of the Stations of the Cross, which, later 
on cast into a definite form and enriched 
with many indulgences by the Church, has 
become, together with the Holy Rosary, a 
great source of sanctification for the souls 
of both learned and simple, great and lowly. 
Once Bl. Alvarez found on the road and 
took up in his arms a poor man covered 
with ulcers, and on taking him into the con- 
vent to attend to him, he saw his burden 
changed into a crucifix. Bl. Alvarez died 
in 1420. 

Prayer — Bl. Alvarez, give me the spirit of 
solitude, even when I am in the midst of 
worldly company. 

Practice — Make your meditation and prep- 
aration for Mass as if you were on Calvary. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 95 

FEBRUARY 20. 
Bl. Angelico of Fiesole, C, O. P. 

Bl. Angelico was to painting what St. 
Thomas was to theology and Dante to 
poetry. No artist has approached nearer to 
the divine ideal. With quiet colors and sim- 
ple strokes of the brush, he was inimitable 
in the truth, variety and supernatural ex- 
pression of his pictures. He painted the 
figure of Our Lord crucified while kneeling 
and with tears in his eyes. His pictures of 
the Blessed Virgin are lovely and breathe 
purity and beatitude. This was because the 
artist was a saint. He was formed in his 
novitiate to the holy observances of the 
Order by Savonarola; the BB. Law- 
rence of Ripafracta, Antony Neyrot and 
Constant Fabriano were his guides or his 
rivals in fervor. His pictures were in great 
request, but he had only one answer to all 
who came: "Get leave from Fr. Prior and 
I will do what you wish." Even in the pal- 
ace of Eugenius IV he kept the abstinence 
of the Order, and it was he who sug- 
gested to the Pontiff the nomination of St. 
Antoninus to the Archbishopric of Florence. 



96 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Although his name was John, he was always 
called Angelico, because of the angelic char- 
acter of his paintings and of his life. The 
title of Blessed is universally given to him 
and he is represented in pictures with rays 
round his head. May his cultus be one day 
confirmed by the Church (1455). 

Prayer — O Jesus, when shall my life be 
a picture copied from thine image and 
likeness? 

Practice — Encourage the distribution of 
holy pictures, but take care that they are in 
good taste and convey holy teaching. 



FEBRUARY 21. 

Bl. Aimon, C, O. P. 

By his virtues BL Aimon worthily upheld 
the nobility of his birth. He was of the 
family of the Counts of Lagnasco. He was 
appointed preacher and counsellor by Bl. 
Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy, a prince so 
charitable that his states were called the 
"Paradise of the poor." Bl. Aimon was 
also professor of the University of Turin, 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 97 

but he preferred to divide his time between 
missions among the poor country people 
and retreats made in the solitude of a moun- 
tain. His familiarity with the holy angels 
is well known. Once when chanting the 
Office of St. Hippolytus (August 12) he in- 
toned the Versicle at Lauds: "Exultabunt," 
etc., the angels replied: "Laetabunter," etc., 
to invite him to Heaven. In fact he died 
on the 15th, the Feast of the Assumption, 
after having finished the Office of Mary, 
whom he had so loved and caused to be 
loved during his long life of nearly a cen- 
tury. Even after his death his hands con- 
tinued to press the crucifix. It was he who 
caused the body of Bl. Antony of Pavonia, 
O. P., to be brought to the Church of Sav- 
igliano, on the facade of which he had these 
words inscribed: "Serve God and so you 
will obtain salvation, all else is nothing but 
delusion." 

Prayer — Great servant of God, obtain for 
me that I may prefer the society of the poor 
to that of the rich and great. 

Practice — Sleep with your crucifix in your 
hands. 



98 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

FEBRUARY 22. 

Bl. Fr. Peter Cellani, O. P. 

When the Order first began to be estab- 
lished at Toulouse, in spite of its humble 
surroundings and the mortal hatred which 
the heretics had vowed against it, the relig- 
ions found loyal support from one of the 
chief men of the city, who gave them shel- 
ter in his own house and showed himself 
ready to take their part. It was Peter Cel- 
lani who did this for St. Dominic and his 
sons and to crown all he ended by giving 
himself, so that later on he used playfully to 
boast that he had received the Order before 
the Order received him. When the holy 
Patriarch sent him to preach, his previous 
life having but little prepared him for such 
work, he objected that he had for his sole 
text-book the homilies of St. Gregory. But 
St. Dominic, inspired from above, said to 
him: "Go, my son, with all confidence, I 
will pray for you twice every day and I doubt 
not that you will reap abundant fruit." Cel- 
lani humbly obeyed and in truth his efiforts 
were greatly blessed by Heaven. He had a 
hard struggle against the heretics who were 
very angry at their iniquities being brought 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 99 

to light, and regarded his ministry of justice 
and charity as tyranny. But persecution 
only increased the courage of Bl. Fr. Peter 
and he labored for forty-two years for the 
defense and propagation of the truth. 

Prayer— Bl. Cellani, raise up friends in the 
world as generous and as prudent as you 
were yourself, to defend the religious Or- 
ders in the Church ! 

Practice — Be faithful in saying the suf- 
frages ordered by the rule for the living and 
the dead, especially those who have helped 
you to carry out your vocation. 



FEBRUARY 23. 

St. Peter Damian, B. D. 

St. Peter Damian*s life was devoted to two 
objects: (1) He reanimated the monastic 
fervor of many convents in Italy, especially 
among the religious at Fonte-Avellane, of 
which he was considered the second founder. 
He maintained the reform of these mon- 
asteries by punishing all infractions of rule, 
for without this, he said, general exhorta- 
tions are of little avail; but before correct- 



100 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

ing others he always prostrated in the midst 
and acknowledged himself a miserable de- 
faulter. He attached great importance to 
corporal penances and that the religious 
really could do more than they thought they 
could in the matter of observance and of 
generous efifort. The choral ofifice was also 
an object- of his greatest care and he has 
left two works, one on the Office, the other 
on the Holy Mass. (2) He labored for the 
reform of the morals in the Church, for the 
abolition of simony, a disorder which con- 
sists in buying for money ecclesiastical dig- 
nities and even ordination. The Pope, 
Stephen IX, made him a bishop and cardi- 
nal, in Order to give him greater authority 
in the Church and especially over the clergy, 
but he soon renounced all honors to be 
more free to serve his dear friends the poor. 
He was one of the propagators of the de- 
votion of the Little Office of the Blessed 
Virgin and of the practice of consecrating 
Saturday to Mary. 

Prayer — O Blessed Virgin Mary, protect 
the holy Church and her august Head, called 
by St. Catherine of Siena "the sweet Christ 
upon earth." 

Practice — Next Saturday go to Holy 
Communion in honor of the Blessed Virgin. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 101 

FEBRUARY 24. 

Ven. Fr. Antoninus Timmermaus, Martyr 
to the Secrecy of the Confessional. 

Ven. Fr. Timmermaus entered the Order at 
Antwerp at the age of twenty one and became 
an excellent preacher not only in Flemish 
but in French and Spanish. The city was at 
that time under the tyranny of the ProteA- 
ants, but instead of leaving it for safety he 
directed all his zeal to visiting, consoling, 
confessing and assisting the faithful in gen- 
eral in their own houses. A man named 
John Tauregny whose confession he had 
heard, having later on tried to assassinate 
William of Nassau, the chief of the heretics, 
the report was maliciously spread that he 
had done it at the instigation of his confes- 
sor. Ven. Fr. Timmermaus was, therefore, 
arrested and no horrors were spared him in 
prison, the rack and the scourge being em- 
ployed to make him reveal what had been 
said in confession. All, however, was use- 
less, so they strangled him and cut his body 
in four pieces. His head remained for a 
long time on a pole, but neither rain nor 
air had any effect upon it. It was sur- 
rounded with radiant light and doves flut- 
tered about it (1582). 



102 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Prayer — "O Lord, keep my lips that I may 
not sin by my tongue'* (Prayer of David, 
which Ven. Fr. Antoninus repeated during 
his sufferings). 

Practice — Be watchful not to speak of the 
faults of others, whether known or unknown. 
To go over the remembrance of them is not 
conducive to their good or to your own, 
nor to the general edification, nor to the 
good use of your tongue, of which you will 
have to give an account. 



FEBRUARY 24. 

St. Matthias, Apostle. 

Judas had added to the crimes of treason 
and Deicide the irreparable sin of despair 
arid suicide and is a true and sad type of 
those souls who, favored with great graces, 
to which they are unfaithful, become dis- 
gusted and ashamed at the sight of their 
sins and give way to discouragement. This 
can in no way repair the past; it only closes 
the only two, means of recovery for the 
future — a fresh start of the soul and the 
mercy of God, received in humble confi- 
dence. Matthias, one of the seventy-two 
disciples, was elected by the Apostles to fill 
the place of Judas. St. Denis the Arco- 
pagite says that a ray of light descending 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 103 

from Heaven on his head decided their 
choice. After preaching for thirty-three 
years among the Jews and pagans, from the 
former of whom he suffered more than from 
the latter, he died in Ethiopia in the year 63. 
It is said that he was first stoned and then 
beheaded; and he is represented with a 
hatchet in his hands. In the Gospel for 
this feast, Jesus shows us His predilection 
for the poor and lowly and He thanks His 
Heavenly Father for having revealed to 
them secrets which were hidden from the 
proud, enamored of their false wisdom — 
mystery of sternness and of kindness which 
is ever being renewed and which makes 
even the just tremble with fear and yet fills 
them with gratitude. 

Prayer — Pity unfaithful religious like that 
Friar Preacher of early times, learned, a 
great orator and thought much of by the 
great ones of the world, who, in order to 
enrich his brother, apostatized, and being 
struck a year after with a terrible malady, 
died, covered with wounds and vermin 
(Lives of the Brethren, O. P.). O my God, 
rather death than infidelity to my vocation. 

Practice — Do not pretend to be wiser than 
you are. Simplicity and humility will do 
more good to your neighbor than preten- 
tious words. 



104 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

FEBRUARY 25, OR 26 IN LEAP-YEAR. 

Bl. Constantius Fabriano, O. P. 

Bl. Constantius used to say the Office of 
the Dead every day and the whole Psalter 
often, and he declared that when he had re- 
cited it for any special intention he had 
never failed to obtain what he desired. 
When asked to say it for the defeat of the 
Turks in Greece, he began several times, 
but could never finish it; the measure of 
mercy was full, God willed to punish the 
guilty Christians by their means. After 
Matins, Constantius often remained in the 
choir, and his prayer under cover of the 
darkness and silence became so fervent that 
his cries and sobs could be heard at a dis- 
tance. He belonged to the school of St. 
Catherine of Sienna, whose disciples, med- 
itating on the sorrows of the Church, ac- 
quired the gift of tears and thus offered rep- 
aration to God. During his missions, Bl. 
Constantius several times miraculously in- 
creased the supply of bread to provide for 
those around him. But above all, he had 
the precious gift of reconciling those at 
variance. His special work in the religious 
life was to foster the spirit of regular ob- 
servance in his Convent of St. Lucy in 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 105 

Fabriano, as was done in other countries 
by Bl. Eberhard of Nuremburg, Francis 
Retza, Conrad of Prussia, etc. He had the 
consolation of seeing the soul of St. An- 
toninus ascend to Heaven; he had been his 
pupil in the novitiate (1481). 

Prayer — B. Constantius, give me fervor in 
the recitation of the Psalms, especially the 
118th Psalm, of which the recommendations 
regarding the law of God apply so well to 
religious observance. 

Practice — Be an angel of peace by your 
example and your words. 



FEBRUARY 26, OR 27 IN LEAP-YEAR. 

Ven. Fr. Peter Rondon, O. P., Apostle 
of the Indians. 

Whilst yet only a deacon, Fr. Peter saw 
himself reduced to the last extremity by 
illness and felt afraid at having done so 
little for God and having no time to make 
up for the past. The Blessed Virgin ap- 
peared to him and promised to cure him: 
"But take care," she said, "to serve me 
well." She kept her word and cured him 
and he, on his part, faithful to his bene- 



106 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

factress* commands, became a missionary * 
and founded in Peru three Confraternities 
of the Holy Rosary, well organized and full 
of devotion, one for the Spaniards, one for 
the negroes and one for the Indians. On 
Sundays he might be seen, beside himself 
with joy and fervor, conducting the proces- 
sion of two thousand Indians, zealous mem- 
bers of the association. Ven. Fr. Peter had 
an impediment in his speech, but when he 
preached about Mary, his pronunciation be- 
came easy and fluent, and he was so elo- 
quent that his audiences were moved to tears. 
He died full of the greatest confidence to- 
wards the Blessed Virgin. Such is the usual 
recompense of those who have practiced a 
tender, constant, serious and practical de- 
votion towards the Queen of Heaven. Ex- 
amples of this may be read in the sixth chap- 
ter of Part I of the "Lives of the Brethren," 
entitled: "How Our Lady Specially Loves 
and Protects Our Order." 

Prayer — What would have become of me, 
O my God, if I had died in such an illness, 
or at such a time of my youth." 

Practice — Listen to Mary, who says to 
you: "My child, take great pains to serve 
me well. I shall know how to reward you 
a hundredfold." 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 107 

FEBRUARY 37, OR 28 IN LEAP-YEAR. 

Ven. Fr. Louis James Olivier, Called 
'The Blessed," T., O. P. 



«ir 



Ven. Louis was a rough peasant, violent 
and irreligious, and during his married life, 
he treated his wife most cruelly. But dur- 
ing a mission given at Lambesc by the 
Fathers of St. Maximin, he was completely 
transformed, and, receiving the habit of the 
Third Order, he led a life more like a Trap- 
pist than that of a simple laborer. Every 
day he heard several Masses, kneeling out 
of humility at the end of the church and 
then gave himself up to hard work, endur- 
ing in silence the jeers of the village folk, 
who ridiculed his silence and austerity. Yet 
he could on occasion speak plain truths to 
some great personages who came to him 
and showed him veneration. The spiritual 
conversations of this unlearned man were 
so exalted, so luminous and full of unction 
that both the Ven. Fr. Antony of the Blessed 
Sacrament and Fr. Massonlie were struck 
with admiration. "Depart from me, O Lord, 
for I am a great sinner," he was heard to 
say in the midst of these celestial favors. 
He continued this life of prayer and pen- 



108 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

ance for forty years, and died, as he wished, 
on a Saturday, eve of the Holy Rosary 
(1686). Saturday was also the day on which 
St. Louis and St. Liguori, out of devotion 
to Mary, chose for giving their largest 
alms, because they desired that they should 
be offered through the heart and by the 
hands of their divine Mother. 

Prayer — O God, most merciful, I will 
never despair of my conversion! 

Practice — Read chapter fifty-seven, of 
Book III of the "Imitation." 



FEBRUARY 28, OR 29 IN LEAP-YEAR. 
Bl. Villana, O. P. 

After having ardently desired the life of 
the cloister, Bl. Villana became through a 
series of small acts of unfaithfulness, a slave 
to the vanities of the world. But God loved 
her still and she was converted by twice 
seeing in the mirror in which she was ad- 
miring herself the face of a horrible demon 
instead of her own. She gave herself to a 
life of austere penance in the secular Third 
Order, and was so eager to relieve the suf- 



X 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 109 

ferings of the poor that she desired to beg 
from door to door for them. She found in 
the Epistles of St. Paul a source of joy and 
light which almost threw her into an ecstasy. 
Favored with the gift of prophecy, she fore- 
told things in such an ordinary way through 
humility, that it was only after the events 
had occurred that notice was taken of them. 
When about to die, she caused the Passion 
according to St. John to be read to her, and 
at the words: "Inclinato capite emisit spiri- 
tum," she crossed her hands on her breast 
and died. The Tertiary Sisters saw her face 
surrounded with luminous rays while they 
were clothing her body in the holy habit of 
the Order. It is related that several favored 
souls saw her presented at the throne of 
God by the Blessed Virgin and St. Mary 
Magdalen and that He said: "Henceforth 
I shall call thee Margaret, for thou shalt be 
as a precious pearl on My Heart because of 
thy patience" (1368). 

Prayer — O my God, even in poor and 
mourning garments I am a prey to vanity; 
do Thou pardon and correct me. 

Practice — In your visits to the Blessed 
Sacrament pray for those who are given to 
vanity in dress and for parents who inspire 
their children with worldly tastes. 



110 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

MARCH 1. 
Bl. Christopher of Milan, O. P. 

Bl. Christopher founded the Convent of 
Taggia, which he dedicated to Mary, Mother 
of Mercy. In his veneration for the Divine 
Office and in happy imitation of the precept 
of the ancient law regarding the priests 
charged with the service of the Temple, he 
desired that the hebdomadary should not 
go out of the convent during his week of 
office, but remain there in a spirit of recol- 
lection, occupied solely in fulfilling worthily 
and devoutly his sacred duties. The heb- 
domadary is the religious who, for a week 
at a time, presides over the Divine Office, 
sings the prayer and says the Conventual 
Mass, thus representing Our Lord, the true 
model of the religious life. It was also for 
the sake of the students, to put them on 
their guard against the temptations of their 
age, that he wisely ordered them to leave 
all useless and profane subjects, so as to 
have more time to meditate day and night 
on the Holy Scriptures, the works of the 
Fathers and the Commentaries of St. 
Thomas. He himself read with delight the 
''Golden Chain" of the Angelic Doctor and 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. Ill 

he 'wrote several works for the instruction 
and direction of preachers. He recom- 
mended them, among other things, to fill 
their sermons with the teaching of the Holy 
Scriptures, instead of imitating those who 
merely borrowed the text and nothing else. 
Before his death, he made a general con- 
fession and died chanting the Psalms, as if 
he were in choir. 

Grayer — O my God, pardon me all my vain 
and even dangerous reading. 

Practice— -Say devoutly the "Maria Mater 
gratiae," etc. 



MARCH 2. 

Bl. Henry Suso, C, O. P. 

BI. Henry Suso entered the Order at the 
age of thirteen, but his conduct until the 
time he was eighteen was not very edifying. 
The more he allowed himself to be influ- 
enced by family affection, by the society of 
frivolous friends and by the love of ease, 
so much the more grace pursued him with 
remorse and regrets. At last the Divine 
Wisdom, whose fervent disciple and theo- 
logian he afterwards became, having touched 
his heart, he gave himself to Jesus crucified 



112 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

with a wonderful generosity, and from that 
time practiced mortifications which we 
tremble to read of. Nevertheless these cor- 
poral sufferings were as nothing compared 
with the contempt and mental sufferings with 
which he was next overwhelmed; violent 
temptations against faith, the sadness of 
desolation and thoughts of despair. This 
last trial lasted six years. His simplicity in 
making known his temptations to his very 
enlightened director, Ven. Fr. Eckard, and 
his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, 
which he had branded on his breast with a 
red-hot iron, gave him light and strength to 
triumph over all and even to turn them to 
his greater progress. His works on the 
Eternal Wisdom are full of doctrine and 
sweetness. When he said the "Sursum 
Corda*' at Mass, all who assisted were struck 
with his fervor. One of his works of zeal 
was the conversion of his sister, who in spite 
of her vows had fled from her convent, 
and he brought her back to the fold by means 
of tears, affection and prayers (1365). 

Prayer — "Courage, my heart, no more 
wavering" (Bl. Henry Suso). 

Practice — Pray for all tepid religious, dis- 
sipated and tempted to infidelity to their 
vocation. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 113 

MARCH 3. 

Sister Jane of Leires, T., O. P. 

Having married an Italian gentleman at 
Marseilles, Jane lived with him for forty 
years without any cloud to trouble their 
union. Her twelve children were all brought 
up in peace and union, their most serious 
disputes being on the subject of the leavings 
at table, at the time when the Ven. Fr. An- 
tony of the Blessed Sacrament came to live 
under their parents* roof. Thanks to the 
prayers of this man of God, two of these 
children became Friars Preachers. Jane, 
admitted to the Third Order, added several 
other weekly fasts to the one prescribed by 
the rule on Fridays, and recited from time 
to time, besides that of the Blessed Virgin, 
several other little Offices, the variety of 
which excited her interior taste for devo- 
tion; she also had the Rosary recited in 
common every day. To these daily exercises 
she added a weekly pilgrimage on Saturdays 
to Notre Dame de la Garde and also one 
every year to the Sainte Baume, to St. 
Maximin, to Cept in honor of St. Anne, or 
to Notre Dame des Lumieres near her 
birthplace. She had the courage, in spite of 
her feelings of repugnance, to take into her 
service a whole family of heretics, in order 



114 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

gently to enlighten and convert them. The 
mother proved the most troublesome, but 
she was at last overcome by the kindness 
and the prayers of her mistress, who died 
soon after in beautiful dispositions of self- 
abandonment to God. 

Prayer — O my God, I live too much for 
myself; that is why I do so little good to 
those around me! 

Practice — Make a spiritual visit to the 
church where you were baptized. 



MARCH 4. 

Ven. Fr. Leonard, C, O. P. 

This saintly religious, even as a child, 
had such a devotion to the Holy Rosary that 
he often had to be sought for in the church, 
where he never tired of reciting it at the feet 
of Mary. He became an able director of 
pious souls and led them, according to their 
various capacities and their efforts in over- 
coming themselves, along the steep paths of 
prayer and sacramental Communion. When 
in the course of his ministry he was obliged 
to take long and painful journeys from one 
monastery to another, he rejoiced to offer 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 115 

to the Lord this sacrifice which he called 
"Sacrificium medullatum." 

The one thing which cost him most in the 
matter of obedience was to relate the favors 
bestowed on him by Heaven. He was so 
tormented with temptations against purity, 
that ih his anguish he entreated all pious 
souls to pray for him, to obtain for him a 
little respite. One of them saw in the hands 
of Mary the crown destined for the servant 
of God, in which several flowers were miss- 
ing. He understood by this that in order to 
complete their number, it was necessary for 
him to suffer these trials, like St. Paul, to the 
end: Among the angels who filled his cell 
at the time of his death, his angel guardian 
was seen joyfully holding in his hand Ven. 
Fr. Leonard's form of profession written in 
golden letters. At his funeral the organ 
played without human hands (1621). 

Prayer — O my God, I do not ask to be 
without temptations, but that I may be hum- 
ble and watchful under them. 

Practice — Meditate on the words of BL 
Humbert: ^/Temptations to pride, envy, 
vengeance, etc., are useful: (1) to teach us 
how to fight against them; (2) to drive away 
negligence; (3) to progress in virtue; (4) 
to prevent presumption; (5) to instruct 
others; (6) to obtain a crown of reward. 



116 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

MARCH 5. 

Ven. Fr. Mark of Marcianise, C, O. P. 

Pope Clement VIII esteemed this holy 
religious very highly and said of him one 
day "there is a saint." He spent all his life 
in fulfilling the commission given him by 
the Holy See to restore regular discipline, 
which had become relaxed through the in- 
fluence of heresy. Indeed the heretics well 
understood that to attack monasteries was to 
attack the Church. Ven. Fr. Mark met with 
great opposition, even with blows, but he 
persevered and procured fruits of perfection 
in proportion to his sufferings. Being made 
Master of Novices, in his humility he loved 
to sweep the choir with them and join in 
their penances. He admitted never having 
failed in obedience for fifty-six years,, be- 
cause he always obeyed simply and without 
regarding human reasons. At one time 
when he had thirty novices ill, he contrived 
in his charity to take care of them all. The 
Ven. Ursula Benincasa, foundress of the 
Sisters of the Hermitage, vowed to a life of 
retreat, was his penitent, and she said: "I 
shall owe to God a severe account for having 
profited so little by the two great directors 



T 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 117 



ft 



He has given me, Philip Neri and Fr. Mark. 
Having lost his voice, Ven. Fr. Mark con- 
tinued to recite the Rosary till the end of 
his life, so as not to give up his favorite 
devotion so long as his heart continued beat- 
ing. He was buried in the Chapel of the 
Holy Name of Jesus (1616). 

Prayer — In the difficulties of a holy life say 
with Ven. Fr. Mark: "I will never lose cour- 
age; neither the world nor the powers of 
hell can prevail against God for Whose cause 
I am working." 

Practice — Induce the sick to say a decade 
of the Rosary with you in union with Jesus 
carrying His Cross. 



MARCH 6. 

Bl. Jordan of Pisa. 

Bl. Jordan was one of the most celebrated 
preachers in Italy in the fourteenth century. 
He had special gift and predilection for 
preaching on the goodness of God and was 
wont to say that there was matter enough 
for thirty sermons on His benefits in the 
order of nature alone. His devotion to Mary 
was so great that, on the days when her 



118 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Office was to be recited in the dormitory, 
he alwaj^s intoned Matins himself and did 
so in a voice which filled the Friars with 
devotion. One of his conquests was the Bl. 
Sylvester, who reached a high degree of 
sanctity among the Camaldolese. Bl. Jordan 
was endowed with so excellent a memory 
that he learnt all the Holy Scriptures by 
heart, especially the Epistles of St. Paul, 
which he greatly esteemed. He was in- 
cited to this devotion by seeing St. Thomas 
Aquinas, then still living, bow his knees in 
veneration before these Epistles in the sac- 
risty and kiss them. Bl. Jordan joined to his 
profound learning an eminent sanctity, above 
all a great sweetness which gave him a kind 
of sovereignty over hearts and gained him 
universal sympathy. At the first sign of 
obedience, he left off preaching and started 
for Paris, to become professor of theology. 
But at Piacenza he was stopped by death, 
or rather he was found worthy of his re- 
ward (1313). 

Prayer— Bl. Jordan, obtain for us love and 
understanding of the Holy Scriptures, espe- 
cially the Epistles of St. Paul. 

Practice — Fix in your memory some verses 
of Psalm xxxvi, to meditate on them during 
the day. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 119 

MARCH 7. 

St. Thomas Aquinas, D., O. P. 

St. Thomas, justly praised by the doctors 
of all ages under the title of the "Angel of 
the Schools," took the habit of St. Dom- 
inic at the age of sixteen, against the wishes 
of his family, whose efforts to prevent him 
he put aside with modest but heroic courage. 
When asked by St. Bonaventure whence he 
derived the beautiful thoughts so admired in 
his writings, he replied, pointing to his 
crucifix: "There is my book." He knew 
perfectly how to read this book, approaching 
it with great humility, keeping himself in 
perfect purity and maintaining a serenity of 
soul which nothing could disturb. This hu- 
mility did not prevent him from energetic- 
ally defending the right of the religious or- 
ders to occupy themselves with the work of 
teaching, to devote themselves to the apos- 
tolic ministry and to receive the offerings of 
the faithful in order to be more free for 
their holy work. Although his "Summa," 
according to one of the Popes, contains "as 
many miracles as articles," it is surpassed by 
his exposition of the mysteries of the In- 
carnation and of the Holy Eucharist. No 



120 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

less than forty Constitutions or Papal En- 
cyclicals exalt his doctrine in terms of ad- 
miration. Leo XIII has gone further than 
all his predecessors and has declared St. 
Thomas the Patron of Catholic Schools. At 
the end of his life, being almost always in 
ecstasy, he exclaimed: "My writings seem 
as mere straw compared to what I now see, 
but the time of writing is past for me'* (1274). 

Prayer — Give me grace, O my Saviour, to 
rejoice only in what leads to Thee, and to 
grieve only over that which separates me 
from Thee. 

Practice — Pray to St. Thomas for all who 
teach and who study the science of theology. 



MARCH 8. 

St. John of God. 

Whilst yet only a poor travelling vendor, 
St. John of God already showed an apos- 
tolic spirit, and made use of his occupation, 
not only to disseminate pious images and 
catechisms, but also tactfully to slip in a 
few words of exhortation to the buyers. 
God willed that he should be the founder of 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 121 

the Order of Nursing Brothers who bear his 
name, and were approved by our own Pope 
Pius V. St. John carried his humility so far 
as to try to pass for an idiot, but his charity 
surpassed all his other virtues. He was seen, 
during a fire in one of the hospitals he had 
founded, going through the flames and car- 
rying out the sick in his arms till they were 
beyond the reach of danger; he had only his 
eyebrows burnt, as a sign of the miracle by 
which he had been preserved from the 
flames. Understanding well that an alms 
bestows as great a benefit on the giver as 
on the receiver, he used to say when beg- 
ging: "Gentlemen, do good to yourselves." 
He was particularly devout to the Blessed 
Virgin and he had also received from God 
the gift of tears. He died on his knees in 
prayer, pressing his crucifix to his heart, and 
remained in this attitude after having ren- 
dered up his soul to God (1550). Book- 
sellers' shops are placed under his protec- 
tion, as he was in early life a vendor of 
books and objects of piety. 

Prayer — "I have chosen to be last in Thy 
house, O my God, rather than dwell among 
sinners" (Ps. Ixxxiii, 11). 

Practice — Make a visit to some hospital 
or else send an alms. 



122 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 



MARCH 9. 

The Holy Sister 3Iartha Berard, O. P., 

Lay Sister. 

This good Sister's love of holy virginity 
was very strong, and began early; she re- 
proved a young man who was wanting in re- 
spect by boxing his ears. Through love of 
poverty, she protected the scraps of food 
left after dinner by the community to which 
she belonged, and, after keeping the most 
presentable portion for food, contented her- 
self with what remained. Her habit had so 
many patches that it was difficult to find a 
piece of the original material. She loved all 
her Sisters without partiality. But one day, 
feeling a too natural affection for one of her 
companions, she said to Our Lord in the 
tabernacle: "My God, I have left all for 
Thee, yet I feel my heart disturbed; it would 
like to attach itself to another object. Oh! 
I hate such infidelity." Immediately she felt 
her heart free from all human attachment. 
At the age of eighty-two this industrious 
Sister was urged to take some rest, but in 
vain; addressing her body, she said to it: 
'*Work, poor creature, work for God and 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 123 

his chaste spouses; wouldst thou enjoy idle 
rest? Do not hope for it here below; thou 
must work until death." Her angel guardian 
warned her to prepare carefully for her last 
journey and she died at the age of eighty- 
four years (1673). 

Prayer — My God, how selfish I am to take 
pleasure in rest, in sleep and in the absence 
of trouble! 

Practice — Never waste any food, but make 
account even of a crumb of bread, out of 
respect for the words of Jesus: "Gather up 
the fragments which remain, that they may 
not be lost" (St. John vi*, 12). 



MARCH 10. 

Bl. Peter Jeremia, C, O. P. 

Bl. Peter had just left the school of law at 
Bologna, to enter the novitiate of the Do- 
riiinicans, when his father, furious at such 
a decision, arrived from Sicily to carry him 
off by force. But at the mere sight of his 
son, whom he saw at a distance as he was 
wialking, modest and recollected, in the 
cloisters, he became calm and softened and 



124 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

a blessing rose to his lips in place of a mal- 
ediction. Bl. Peter labored with great suc- 
cess for the restoration of regular observ- 
ance in the Order and had for his disciple 
and later on for his assistant, Bl. John Lic- 
cius. St. Vincent Ferrer, whom he met at 
Bologna, also helped to develop in him zeal 
for souls and a love of sacred studies. At 
the Council of Florence, Eugenius IV, being 
informed of the happy results of his pru- 
dence and charity, confided to him the re- 
form of several other religious Institutes. 
His love of the Cross was so great that he 
feared to have displeased Our Lord if some 
time passed without trials. A scandalous 
sinner whom he had gently urged to repent- 
ance, having given him a blow in reply, his 
arm became withered and was only restored 
by the prayers of the holy Friar. When Bl. 
Peter died, he was found to be girded with 
a heavy chain with five rows of links, which 
had become imbedded in his flesh; he had 
worn it fifty-one years (1452). 

Prayer — O my God, I will no longer seek 
what pleases me, but that which pleases 
Thee! 

Practice — Edify those you have to do with 
in the world, and in conversing with your 
friends, relations, etc. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 125 

MARCH 11. 

Ven. M. Gabrielle d'Autun, O. P. 

In early life this servant of God gave 
little promise of the virtues which were to 
appear in her later. Being deprived, 
through the death of her mother, of the 
affectionate counsels she needed, she fell 
into the most eccentric ways, spending her 
time in beating a drum, drilling like a sol- 
dier and frequenting the most noisy gather- 
ings. Nevertheless, thanks to her devotion 
to Our Blessed Lady which she always pre- 
served, she never went far wrong and had 
always an instinctive horror of anything con- 
trary to perfect purity. One day, in the 
midst of all this worldliness, God suddenly 
enlightened her as to the nothingness of 
earthly pleasures and she became a Domin- 
ican novice. But as the time of her profes- 
sion approached, she was nearly being sent 
away for her independent spirit, her haughty 
manner and contempt for those little prac- 
tices by which aspirants are tried and which 
she treated as ridiculous. Happily an entire 
change came over her, such as cannot usu- 
ally be counted on, and she was duly re- 
ceived to profession. If, as sometimes hap- 
pened, her natural character reasserted itself, 
it only seemed to bring out more strongly 



126 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

the promptitude, humility and generosity 
with which she received corrections. At the 
age of thirty she was ripe for Heaven, her 
end being hastened by the spitting of blood 
caused by her efforts to overcome herself. 

Prayer — O Jesus, we belong to Thee, be- 
cause by an incomprehensible love Thou art 
become our Brother, our Master, our 
Friend and our Companion'* (St. Catherine 
of Siena). * 

Practice — In your prayer, dwell especially 
on considerations which lead to the love of 
Our Lord Jesus Christ. 



MARCH 12. 

St. Gregory the Great, Pope. 

This son of St. Benedict was great by his 
illustrious birth, great in his dignity as Pope, 
great by the virtues which he showed while 
occupying the chair of St. Peter and great 
in the works which he accomplished. Before 
his promotion to the Papacy he had already 
distinguished himself as Cardinal Legate at 
Constantinople, where he refuted the heresy 
of the Greek Patriarch, who taught that we 
shall rise again, not in bodies of flesh, but in 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 127 

aerial forms only. When promoted to the 
Sovereign Pontificate, St. Gregory tried in 
vain to escape from such an overwhelming 
responsibility by hiding in a cavern, but his 
retreat was discovered by the apparition of 
a fiery dove hovering over it. With shat- 
tered health, during the twelve years of his 
Pontificate, he contended energetically 
against the Donatists and Arians, undertook 
the conversion of England, defended the 
primacy of the Holy See against the Patri- 
arch of Constantinople, encouraged the de- 
votion of the Stations in Rome, gave a 
definite form to the simple and majestic 
ecclesiastical chant known as the "Grego- 
rian," and found, in the midst of it all, time 
to serve the poor every day and to address 
the most admirable letters to pious souls. 
In his writings, wisdom and greatness are 
happily united to the simplicity and sweet- 
ness of the Gospel. One of the sermons of 
St. Thomas Aquinas is devoted to comment- 
ing on the Gospel of St. Gregory's feast(684). 

Prayer — O my God, I desire honor even 
when I appear to fly from it. What a refine- 
ment of pride! 

Practice— Pray for the conversion of Eng- 
land, for which the holy Roman Church has 
ahvays shown the greatest solicitude. 



128 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

MARCH 13. 

Bl. Robert of Naples, O. P., Restorer of 
Regular Observance in Italy. 

The edifying conversation of one of our 
Fathers at Naples decided his vocation, and 
from his earliest years he showed himself 
like a saint of olden times, even to the point 
of v^^orking miracles. In order to avoid the 
ever increasing veneration he received, he 
came to Rome to ask Bl. Raymund of Capua, 
the Master General, the favor of allowing 
him to live and die unknown in some solitary 
convent. But those who desire to hide them- 
selves are usually the most worthy to be 
known and the most able to command. The 
saintly reformer took Bl. Robert for his rep- 
resentative in the province of Lombardy, 
where he obtained brilliant results, especially 
in Venice, in spite of the opposition of the 
Senate. By the influence of his example and 
by his efificacious words he caused the prin- 
ciples of perfection gradually to prevail. 
During his long illnesses, he was 'never heard 
to complain, or to refuse a disagreeable 
remedy. He only spoke to thank God for 
his mercies. One day, having expressed a 
desire for some lettuce, as soon as it was 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 129 



u- 



brought he sent it away and accused himself 
with tears of this inordinate desire. During 
his agony, in the Convent of Chioggia, a 
bright cloud hid him from his brethren's 
sight, and when it passed away his soul was 
with God. Bl. John Dominic, his dear dis- 
ciple, tried to sing his requiem Mass, but 
his voice was choked with tears (1393). 

Prayer — O my God, enlighten all religious 
superiors that they seek quality, not quan- 
tity, in the subjects they choose. 

Practice — Pray for the timid, who tremble 
at the least obstacle, and often fear imag- 
inary ones. 



MARCH 14. 

Octave Day of St. Thomas Aquinas. 

St. Thomas was so humble that, as the 
Church declares in his Office, he never .felt 
any temptation to vanity; so charitable that 
he never grieved any one by an unkind word. 
But his devotion to the Blessed Sacrament 
surpassed all his other virtues. He must, 
indeed, have explained well the greatness of 
this mystery, since Our Lord Himself 
deigned to say to him three times — at Paris, 

9 



ISO SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

at Naples and at Orvieto: "Thou hast writ- 
ten well of Me, Thomas." After having 
drunk in deeply the harmonies of Eucharistic 
doctrine, he became, in his Office of the 
Most Holy Sacrament, its most admired 
singer and poet. Usually, after having said 
his Mass, he served another and then pre- 
pared for work. What a touching sight 
when, at the end of his life, about to receive 
the Holy Viaticum, he raised himself on the 
bed of ashes on which, through humility, he 
had desired to be placed, and cried out: "O 
my Redeemer, it is for Thee that I have 
labored, I trust that I have said nothing 
amiss concerning Thee. If I have spoken 
ill, I submit all to the judgment of the Ro- 
man Church in whose obedience I die." 
Would that all writers had the humility, 
though they have not the genius, of St. 
Thomas. 

Prayer — St. Thomas, inspire the sick and 
those who attend them not to put off the 
reception of the Holy Viaticum. 

Practice — At Holy Communion be filled 
with the sentiments of St. Thomas when cele- 
brating Mass and say with him: "Lord, 
grant that this Communion may be to me for 
the increase of charity, patience, humility 
and all virtues." 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 131 

MARCH 15. 

Bl. William d'Orlye, C, O. P. 

Bl. William, though of noble family and in 
his forty-second year, gave up all and en- 
tered the Convent of Annecy, and there 
showed, says an ancient author, "so much 
humility, austerity and sanctity that he be- 
came an object of admiration, though above 
imitation." His superiors, seeing that he 
was specially drawn by God to contempla- 
tion, allowed him to follow this attraction 
and to retire into a grotto overlooking a 
steep precipice. There he lived on roots and 
water, preaching during the day to the in- 
habitants of the neighborhood and spending 
his nights in prayer, during which he was 
favored with long ecstasies. It was in this 
solitude that the man of God died, on his 
knees in the attitude of prayer, his eyes 
turned towards Heaven, in 1458. He was 
already detached from earthly things, and 
the aspirations of his heart were all towards 
Heaven. When he was carried from his 
hermitage to Annecy, though the way was 
long, the torches of those who assisted were 
not consumed. The iron chain which he had 



132 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

long worn in a spirit of penance worked 
many miracles in the following centuries 
(1458). 

Prayer — "On whichever side I turn, O my 
God, I meet with Thine ineffable love*' (St. 
Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Be faithful to your monthly re- 
treat, making with great care the exercise of 
preparation for death, placing yourself in 
spirit at your last hour, mourning over lost 
years, making in a spirit of penance and love 
the sacrifice of your life and promising, if 
God spares you longer, to live henceforth 
for Him alone. 



MARCH 16. 

' Ven. M. Frances Dorothea, V., O. P. 

This holy religious founded at Com- 
postella (which means Field of Stars) a con- 
vent of Dominican Sisters,, whose life re- 
called by its austerity that of the anchorites 
of old. The fast was perpetual and so was 
the silence; perpetual adoration of the 
Blessed Sacrament was kept up, although 
there were only thirty-three Choir Sisters. 
No seculars were ever invited to clothings 



o 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 13 



or professions, in order that nothing might 
disturb the silence, peace and supernatural 
spirit of the cloister on these days of grace. 
But Ven. M. Frances sought to make this 
solitary life happy by joy of heart and by a 
few well-chosen practices of devotion, espe- 
cially in regard to a statue of Our Lady of 
the Kings, which she herself used to dress, 
on her knees, more or less richly, according 
to the feasts. Once by invoking her, she 
saved the city from a terrible inundation. 
Although she was the foundress, she re- 
garded herself as the least of the Sisters, 
with such humility that she promised to say 
a "Hail Mary" for any one who told her of 
the smallest shortcoming. Her reproofs to 
the Sisters were never too severe. "One 
must," she said, "mortify the passions with- 
out offending the persons or dishonoring the 
holy state to which they are vowed." When 
she gave an order, it was always by way of 
request, saying gently: "Will you, of your 
charity, do so and so" (1623). 

Prayer — O my God, I adore Thee present 
mv heart bv srrace! 



in my heart by grace! 



Practice — Say a "Hail Mary" for those 
who find fault with you, even though their 
remarks seem to you to have no foundation. 



134 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

MARCH 17. 

St. Patrick, B., Apostle of Ireland. 

St. Patrick was the nephew of St. Martin 
of Tours. Whilst still young he was carried 
off by pirates and kept a prisoner in Ireland 
for six years. Set free on account of his dis- 
covering a treasure, he made his studies and 
embraced the monastic life in the monastery 
of St. Martin, his uncle, who probably gave 
him the habit. The recollection of the sad 
state of idolatrous Ireland was a continual 
torment to his soul and, after ten years of 
preparation by prayer and fasting, he set 
out to beg Pope Celestine to send mission- 
aries to that country. He was placed at the 
head of the expedition and fully justified the 
Holy Father's choice. The King of Ireland 
and his people were converted, the designs 
of hell were baffled; monasteries arose, 
councils were held and this island, once the 
stronghold of demons, began to merit the 
name of "Isle of Saints." St. Patrick died 
after an episcopate of sixty years, at the age 
of one hundred and twenty years, according 
to some historians. He had a particular de- 
votion to the Sign of the Cross, which he 
made use of on all occasions (491). One of 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOJiIINICANS. 135 

the imitators of his zeal in Ireland was Fr. 
Patrick Thaddeus, O. P., who suffered much 
in sustaining the people and defending the 
faith, and to whom Paul II said publicly: 
*'You have given a beautiful example, may 
you be blest for if' (1464). 

Prayer — O my God, support Catholic Ire- 
land in her trials and increase her saints. 

Practice — Use holy water to drive away 
from your rooms the ambushes of the 
evil one. 



MARCH 18. 

Bl. Sybillina of Biscossis, V., O. P. 

Bl. Sybillina became blind at the age of ten, 
and for a long time she asked for her sight 
to be restored through the intercession of 
St. Dominic, not being able to resign her- 
self never again to see the light of Heaven. 
At last she understood from God that He 
had sent this blindness in order that she 
might be more free for the contemplation of 
the mysteries of our Redemption, and then 
she accepted it gladly. Received first among 
the Tertiary Sisters, she afterwards passed 



136 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

sixty-four years apart from all intercourse 
with the world, in a little cell close to the 
church of the Friars Preachers. There God 
enlightened her with such spiritual wisdom 
that she understood perfectly the "Solilo- 
quies" of St. Augustine and the "Medita- 
tions" of St. Bernard. Devout people vied 
with each other for the privilege of even 
a few moments' conversation with her at 
the window of her cell, and they always came 
away the better for their interview. From 
this little window she also converted a num- 
ber of sinners by representing to them 
plainly, with a holy liberty and at the same 
time with wonderful tact, according to their 
dispositions, sometimes the justice of God in 
order to rouse them to repentance, some- 
times His merc}^ to give them confidence. 
In some countries she is invoked as the 
patroness of servants (1361). 

Prayer — O my God, enlighten my eyes and 
my heart that I may know myself and know 
Thee! 

Practice — Read chapter nineteen of the 
"Soliloquies" of St. Augustine or Psalm 145, 
or any chapter of the "Imitation of Christ." 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 137 

MARCH 19. 

The Patriarch St. Joseph, Spouse of the 
Blessed Virgin Mary. 

All hearts, those of young and old, ma;*- 
ried people and virgins, priests, working 
men and princes, are alike attracted towards 
St. Joseph, who holds so modest, yet so im- 
portant a place in the mysteries of the Holy 
Infancy by his ojffiice of protector of Mary 
and the Divine Child. Holy Scripture says 
of the first Joseph, son of Jacob: "He is a 
growing son." There is nothing astonishing 
then in the fact that the cultus of the new 
Joseph has grown in the course of centuries 
until our own time in the most consoling 
and fruitful manner. God has so disposed it 
that we may understand by his example his 
esteem of the domestic virtues, his love of 
work, his simplicity and frugality in food, 
clothing and lodging, his constant prayer in 
the midst of work, the sweetness of his char- 
acter and uprightness of his life, that these 
virtues are necessary to the family and to 
society; above all in our days, when the 
rulers of the world so unwisely throw off the 
duty of protecting Christian principles. 



138 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Above all, what a death was that of St. 
Joseph in the arms of Jesus and Mary and 
in the midst of their prayers! It is prob- 
able that this most happy of all deaths took 
place at the beginning of Our Lord's apos- 
tolic life. 

Prayer — St. Joseph, obtain for me that I 
may guard the grace of Jesus as faithfully 
as thou didst guard Jesus Himself. 

Practice — Say some prayer to St. Joseph 
for the dying. 



MARCH 20. 

Ven. Fd. Claud Pleure, C, O. P. 

Ven. Fr. Claud spent all his life in cate- 
chising, hearing confessions, visiting the sick 
and instructing the ignorant. The Hugue- 
nots of St. Die having destroyed the Con- 
vent of St. Dominic, taken the revenues and 
driven out the religious, Fr. Claud was sent 
there to establish the community and erect 
a bulwark against heresy. He obtained 
from Parliament an order which obliged the 
heretics to repair the damage they had done, 
and this he did less by human cleverness than 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 131) 

by the intercession of St. Francis de Sales, 
whom he had once heard preaching to the 
judges about their duties and to whom he 
had vowed to address a prayer every day of 
his life. In spite of losing their case, the 
Huguenots could not help exclaiming: 
"Truly he is a saint." He so loved regular 
observance that, when any special work was 
proposed to him, his first thought was to see 
how he could do it without its interfering 
with the community exercises. In his hu- 
mility he called himself "the old sinner." 
But he put all his confidence in Mary. "It 
is in the daily recitation of the Rosary," he 
said when dying, "and not on any action of 
my life that I found my hope of salvation." 
When any one visited him, during his last 
illness and wished him "good day," he said 
he would rather they wished him a good 
eternity (1687). 

Prayer — My God, have pity on me, who, 
though perhaps young in years, am already 
old in sin. 

Practice — Pray to St. Francis de Sales for 
Protestants. 



140 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

MARCH 21. 

St. Benedict, Patriarch, 

St. Benedict spent a long time in a grotto 
at Subiaco, called now "the holy cave," 
meditating day and night on heavenly things. 
When assailed in his solitude by terrible 
temptations, he did not hesitate to roll 
among thorns to obtain deliverance. The 
Church venerates him as the Father of the 
religious life in the West. The various Con- 
gregations of Benedictines, the Cistercians 
and the Trappists look to him as their first 
legislator, and the saints of both sexes in 
• these different branches amount, it is said, 
to five thousand. St. Dominic himself, 
guided by a divine light, borrowed from him 
many religious observances, in order, as the 
Constitutions say, "to render the religious 
more fit for the work of preaching." St. 
Gregory the Great, a disciple of St. Bene- 
dict, summed up the life of his master in 
these words: "He dwelt within himself," 
That is to say, he remained within his own 
soul to study it, to possess it, to purify it 
and to fill it with God. Happy that dwell- 
ing in which, finding yourself, you find the 
way of salvation, the anticipated possession 
of eternal life. The crosses called St. Bene- 
dict's crosses come down from the earliest 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 141 

times and protect against the influence of 
demons, against the plague and against 
thunder and lightning. 

Prayer — O my God, make me to dwell in 
my own heart! 

Practice — During the day, regard your 
house as a cloister. 



MARCH 22. 

Bl. Ambrose of Siena, C, O. P. 

After having finished his novitiate, Bl. Am- 
brose was sent to study in Paris, where he 
had Bl. Albert the Great for his master and 
St. Thomas for his fellow disciple. The 
Pope recalled him to Rome to revive the 
study of theology, which had become much 
neglected. He applied himself especially to 
the apostolic ministry and overthrew the 
sect of the Bohemians who were attacking 
the Church, the sacraments and the cultus 
of the saints; he helped towards the free 
election of a new Pope, preached the Cru- 
sade against the Turks, and strove to recon- 
cile many cities and, above all, his dear na- 
tive town, Siena, to the Holy See. He 
loved peace so much that, before saying 
Mass, he used to go and ask pardon of those 
whom he thought to be irritated against 



142 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

him; he called vengeance idolatry, because 
it usurps the right of punishing sin, which 
belongs to God alone. "Vengeance is mine 
and I will repay" (Romans xii, 19). Am- 
brose founded several pious confraternities 
for widows, virgins and servants. During 
his preaching a dove was often seen hover- 
ing over him. Whilst preaching a sermon 
against usury at Siena, he broke a blood 
vessel in his chest and died soon after, 
happy in giving his life for the defense of 
the poor (1286). 

Prayer — "The Lord is my light and my 
salvation, whom shall I fear?'* 

Practice — Recall to your mind the many 
dangers of soul and body from which God 
has delivered you and give thanks to Him. 



MARCH 23. 

BL Maurice of Hungary, C, O. P. 

On the death of his parents the guardians 
of Bl. Maurice obliged him to marry the 
daughter of a Count Palatine. But his bride 
and he mutually agreed to enter the Order 
and no ill treatment could shake their reso- 
lution. Bl. Maurice had a great zeal for the 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 143 

Divine Office; he called the Friars for Mat- 
ins, helped the sacristan to ring the bells, 
prepared the altar and supplied the sanctu- 
ary-lamp by the proceeds of his guests. He 
recited the Psalter and the Litany of the 
Saints every day. He had a charitable and 
recollected soul; if he heard frivolous mat- 
ters discussed he would smile and then slip 
away; but, if it was a matter of settling a 
dispute he was always ready to interpose 
and establish peace. After his death he was 
seen, to. the admiration of all, gently to 
open his eyes at the elevation of the Sacred 
Host and of the chalice at the Requiem 
Mass. He appeared to his Provincial in 
dazzling white and said to him: "I live in 
God, yet know, nevertheless, that at the 
hour of death I was in great peril, but I 
escaped through the Divine mercy." Was 
it a temptation to presumption, or against 
faith or against hope? He did not explain. 
A blind person was cured by rubbing his eyes 
with dust from the tomb of Bl. Maurice 
(1336). 

Prayer — I would, O my God, that my heart 
were like the sanctuary-lamp, burning and 
being consumed for Thee. 

Practice — Avoid with great care all that 
may trouble peace and seek by all good 
means to restore it. 



144 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

MARCH 24. 

St. Gabriel, Archangel. 

Among the various Orders of the Angels 
of whom St. Thomas has so admirably writ- 
ten, some are consecrated solely to the con- 
templation of the divine perfections, others 
are sent forth on works of active ministrj^ 
Among these last, those whom God reserves 
for the most important charges are called 
archangels. Such is St. Gabriel, to whom the 
secret of the Incarnation was confided and 
who was to carry its message to earth. For 
the fall of man having come about through 
a rebellious angel, it was fitting that a faith- 
ful angel should cooperate in the work of 
reparation. Gabriel it was who revealed 
the time of the Incarnation to Daniel, the 
man of desires, and who later on sustained 
Jesus in Gethsemane, that He might accept 
the sorrows of His Passion; to-day he an- 
nounces to Mary the joys, the greatness and 
wonderful fruits of this mystery. "Fear 
not," he says, after having saluted her with 
''Hail Mary," ''thou hast found grace with 
God." * * * "Fear not," he says later on 
to Joseph, "that which is accomplished in 
thy spoused is the work of the Holy Ghost." 
Happy house of Nazareth, which has heard 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 145 

these strengthening words of the angel! 
He is indeed in this mystery Gabriel, which 
means "strength of God," and Nazareth 
henceforth fully justifies its name, which sig- 
nifies "a flower," since within its walls grows 
up Jesus, the joy and sweetness of the world. 

Prayer — Holy archangel, make me a man 
of desires like Daniel, that I may see the 
Kingdom of God established in my soul. 

Practice — Recite the mysteries of the Ro- 
sary in union with the Archangel Gabriel, 
especially the first joyful and the first sor- 
rowful mysteries. 



MARCH 25. 

The Annunciation. 

The Most Blessed Virgin was engaged in 
prayer, in the silence of the night, with 
humility and fervent desires, when the Angel 
announced to her the great wonder of her 
Divine maternity. But he awaited her con- 
currence, "because," says St. Thomas, "she 
represented the whole human race to whom 
God, in honor, left the merit of concurring 
freely in the work of salvation." "My soul, 
be filled with confusion in seeing how God 

10 



146 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

forms an alliance with thee through Mary. 
Thou must understand that that which is 
done for thee cannot save thee without thine 
own consent, since He seeks to know Mary's 
will and awaits her consent" (St. Catherine 
of Siena). Scarcely has the Blessed Virgin 
said her "Fiat" than Heaven descends to 
earth and men become capable of attaining 
Heaven — a moment unique in the world's 
history, which repairs forty centuries of mis- 
fortunes and prepares countless centuries of 
grace and glory. It is, therefore, not with- 
out good reason that in the Order of St. 
Dominic, when the Martyrology announc- 
ing this feast is read in choir, all the relig- 
ious are required to be present and to pros- 
trate on the ground, to tender thanks to the 
great mercy of God, Who alone can work 
such miracles. Several religious Orders are 
consecrated to honor this mystery, especially 
the Annonciades, founded by St. Jane of 
Valois. 

Prayer — O my God, Thou art Beauty, I 
am deformity; Thou art Light, I am dark- 
ness; Thou art Wisdom, I am folly; Thou 
art Life, I am death (St. Catherine of 
Siena). 

Examen. — With what fidelity, devotion and 
external reverence do I recite the Angelus 
three times each day? 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 147 

MARCH 36. 

Octave Day of St. Joseph. 

On the one side the life of St. Joseph is in 
touch with family life in the ordinary sense, 
and on the other with that of the great fam- 
ily of the Church. Jesus Christ is the Head 
of the Church, Mary is its type, its model, 
its honor and its hope. In providing for 
Jesus and Mary and protecting them from 
danger, St. Joseph is the model for the pas- 
tors of the Church, when they are instruct- 
ing little children, when preaching the Word 
and distributing the Bread of the Holy Eu- 
charist, as also when they console the 
afflicted, or preserve from evil souls in dan- 
ger of being lost. St. Joseph has a special 
power with God to obtain for them, as well 
as for the faithful laity, the particular graces 
of their vocation. It was for this reason 
that Pius IX, to the great joy of all Chris- 
tians, declared the holy patriarch Patron of 
the Universal Church, thus granting the 
prayer addressed to Adrian VI by Fr. Isi- 
dore Isolani, O. P., when he dedicated to 
him in 1522 his work on the Gifts of St. 
Joseph: "Most Holy Father, command the 



148 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Church to observe in honor of St. Joseph 
joyous and solemn annual feasts, celebrated 
with great devotion." Benedict XIV and 
Fr. Patrignani have greatly praised this 
work. 

Prayer — St. Joseph, preserve me from 
perils of soul and body, but chiefly against 
temptations to want of submission to supe- 
riors and to Divine Providence. 

Practice — Pray before an altar or image 
of St. Joseph for those who have the care 
of souls in the Church. 



MARCH 27. 

Bl. Hugh of St. Cher, Cardinal, O. P. 

Bl. Hugh, whose life was filled with good 
works in the service of truth and of the 
Church, was a disciple of Bl. Humbert. His 
first works were on the Bible; he revised 
the text and compiled the earliest concord- 
ance, called the "Concordance of St. James,'* 
and then a complete commentary. He ful- 
filled successfully, as Cardinal Legate, vari- 
ous missions for the peace of the Church 
and the reform of the monasteries. In Bel- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 149 

gium he encouraged Bl. Julianna in the mat- 
ter of the institution of a feast of the Blessed 
Sacrament, which met with the most vio- 
lent opposition, and on the day of the solem- 
nity he sang the Mass and preached a ser- 
mon. The Carmelites owe to him their 
primitive constitutions, as St. Teresa said: 
'*We observe the rule without any mitiga- 
tion, such as it was given us by Cardinal 
Hugo." He also defended the Dominican 
Sisters, whose direction the Fathers had 
given up to attend to their other works. 
*'The garden of the Church," he said in his 
graceful way, "has produced roses separate 
from the rose-tree, but we desire now to 
replace them on the branches by the au- 
thority of the Pope." It is related that in 
his last moments, in his humility, and feeling 
deeply the responsibility of his office, he 
cried out: "It would have been better for 
me to have remained covered with leprosy 
in my humble monastic state than to have 
been created cardinal" (1263). 

Prayer — O my God, give grace to the Sa- 
cred College to be a powerful help to the 
Vicar of Christ. 

Practice — Frequent reading of Holy 
Scripture, chosen according to the advice of 
a wise director. 



150 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

MARCH 28. 

The Devout Brother Simon, of the Con- 
vent of Paris. 

This good Brother showed to what per- 
fection a religious can attain solely by the 
exercises of community life, even when pre- 
vented by illness from following them com- 
pletely. He desired to die rather than ac- 
cept, except through obedience, dispensa- 
tions from the rule, yet God willed that a 
disease of the lungs should oblige him often 
to make use of them, so that he turned his 
efforts still more towards interior perfec- 
tion. So great was his sense of the pres- 
ence of God that, when forbidden on ac- 
count of his health to apply himself to it, 
the prohibition caused such strange and vio- 
lent emotion that it had to be withdrawn. 
This divine presence sometimes caused his 
face to shine resplendently. His minute at- 
tention to the rubrics, his reverence in put- 
ting on the surplice, his custom of bowing 
to the religious more or less profoundly ac- 
cording to their character, revealed the 
spirit of faith which animated him. During 
recreation, he cared onl}^ to speak of the 
things of God. He took everything, pleas- 
ant or painful, alike from the hands of the 
infirmarian with simplicity, docility and 
gratitude. On entering his cell he always 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 151 

said a "Hail Mary" to obtain some virtue, 
above all humility, "which," he said, "greatly 
exasperated the devil." On Good Friday, 
the day before he died, he desired to keep 
the fast. In the evening he begged pardon 
of the iniirmarian for any scandal he might 
have given and then went, on the morrow, 
to sing "Alleluia" in Heaven, after six 
months of profession (1622). 

Prayer — My God, show me how great is 
the worth of common actions, thanks to 
their number and the intention which en- 
nobles them. 

Practice — Calm and assidiious fidelity to 
the presence of God. 



MARCH 29. 

Bl. Venturinus of Bergamo, C, O. P. 

During the first five years of his religious 
life, Bl. Venturinus lived in a state of tepid- 
ity, sleeping beyond the appointed time, 
choosing the best food he could get and 
above all seeking to be much thought of and 
to gain a great reputation. After his con- 
version, his fervor was so great that during 
the Holy Sacrifice he was seen lifted in the 
air and surrounded with light. Multitudes 
flocked to hear his sermons, and he worked 



152 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

wonders among sinners in the confessional. 
He organized a pilgrimage of penance to 
Rome, in which forty thousand persons 
joined, but Benedict XII, who was then re- 
siding at Avignon, suspected this movement 
of having a political aim and of being a cov- 
ert reproach to him for remaining in France, 
so he relegated Bl. Venturinus to the Con- 
vent of Marvejols. Here he continued his 
apostolate by means of letters, at the end 
of which he used to sketch the instruments 
of the Passion. One of these letters is ad- 
dressed to the nuns at Prouille: "O chosen 
and gentle spouses of Christ," he says, "it 
is the love of Jesus which impels me to 
write to you, because T so ardently desire to 
see you living in the charity of souls vowed 
to a state of perfection. Christ has shut my 
mouth by reason of my sins, but He has not 
tied my hands." Restored to favor and put 
at the head of a crusade against the Turks, 
he died of the extreme fatigue caused by his 
zeal (1346). 

Prayer — O God, preserve me from seeking 
my own comfort in a holy state, which is 
only embraced in order to die to self. 

Practice — Make a spiritual pilgrimage to 
Rome, to the tomb of the Holy^ Apostles, 
and there recite the Credo, and then three 
Hail Marys for the Sovereign Pontiff. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 153 

MARCH 30. 

Ven. Fr. Melchior Cano, C, O. P. 

The learned world knows Fr. Melchior 
Cano, who was the initiator of special studies 
on true religion and the divinity of Christi- 
anity, foreseeing that, in the rationalistic 
tendencies of modern times, such studies 
would claim a more and more important 
place in theological teaching. The other 
Melchior Cano, of whom we now speak, was 
his nephew, his inferior in learning, but not 
in virtue. St. Teresa bears witness to this 
in writing to Fr. Bannes: "I have had a 
visit from Fr. Cano. If there were a num- 
ber in his Order of the same stamp, you 
could fill convents with contemplative relig- 
ious. What real piety! Oh, what a beautiful 
soul God possesses in this religious! He 
has greatly consoled me.** He had frequent 
ecstasies at the altar, in his cell and even in 
the chapter-room during the Martyrology 
on Christmas Eve. In his zeal he caused 
himself to be carried to the confessional 
when he could no longer walk; when going 
out of the convent he prayed to be preserved 
from the corruption of the world, and on 



154 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

» 

returning he thanked God for having given 
him grace to work for Him. The Papal 
Nuncio instituted a judicial inquiry regard- 
ing his sanctity, but he is one of the many 
sons of St. Dominic whose complete glori- 
fication is reserved for the Church in Heaven 
(1607). 

Prayer — St. Teresa, obtain for the sons 
of St. Dominic fidelity to the twofold spirit 
of their vocation. 

Practice — When you go out into the town, 
pray; on returning examine if you have 
given edification, ^'carrying Christ in your 
mortal body" (1 Cor. vi, 20). 



MARCH 31. 

Veil. M. Margaret of St. Thomas, V.,0. P. 

At the time when she was about to be 
married, the parents of the Ven. M. Mar- 
garet sent her to visit her sister, who was 
being educated in a convent, in the hope that 
she would embrace the religious life. But 
the thoughts of God are not as our thoughts 
and quite the contrary happened; for the 
sister in the convent left it to live in ti":e 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 155 

world, while Margaret, boldly cutting off her 
hair, put on a religious dress and entered 
the convent. As she possessed a tender and 
affectionate heart, desiring to watch against 
her own natural inclinations, she made a 
vow to love God alone and to have no 
friendship but His. In order to keep this 
vow, she avoided the society of those among 
her Sisters to whom she felt most attracted, 
and tied her feet to her cell when she felt a 
desire to go and talk to others. The vio- 
lence she did to herself, in order not to 
reply to reproaches, was so great that her 
face became quite blue and convulsed. But 
she held fast to her resolution and by pa- 
tience with herself and perseverance she 
acquired a sweet and gentle manner. Such 
is the price at which strong and holy habits 
are formed, but those who succeed in form- 
ing them are rewarded even in this world. 

Prayer — My God, I will love Thee only! 

Practice — Read the eighth chapter of Book 
II of the "Imitation," dwelling especially 
on the verse: "Neither desire that any one's 
heart should be set on thee, nor do thou let 
thyself be taken up with the love of any one, 
but let Jesus be in thee and in every 
good man." 



156 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

APRIL 1. 

Ven. M. Catherine of the Will of God, 

v., O. P. 

The octave of the Annunciation is a fit- 
ting day to commemorate the virtues of this 
holy religious, who was both by name and 
disposition a faithful imitator of the perfect 
docility of Mary. Born of poor vendors 
who soon left her an orphan, she was obliged 
to take a situation in a lady's house, where 
she became greatly appreciated for her gen- 
tle disposition, her evenness of temper and 
her skill in manual work, but above all for 
her singular detachment from her own will, 
which came from a special light of grace. 
If called away suddenly from her prayers, 
she went without delay, saying with a good 
grace: "Lord, if You want me with You, 
make it known to those who are over me, 
as for me I shall do as they tell me.'* She 
had a particularly clear understanding of the 
sacrament of penance. "I am much edified," 
she said, "when souls greatly desire Holy 
Communion, but it seems to me that they 
should take great care to receive the sac- 
rament of penance well, for it is of great 
profit to the soul, even when Holy Com- 
munion cannot be had, and on its good re- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 157 

ception depends our spiritual progress. I 
should leave all other spiritual works in 
order to confess well." She died a holy 
death after a long illness (1722). 

Prayer — O good Jesus, Thou hast re- 
deemed me; suffer me not to be lost: ac- 
knowledge in me all the good which comes 
from Thee and pardon all the evil which is 
from myself alone. 

Practice — During this month, be careful 
about your confessions, meditating on this 
sentence: "Confession of sin promotes the 
glory of God, because the physician is all 
the more worthy of praise, when he cures 
a deep-seated and serious malady (St. 
Augustine). 



APRIL 3. 

St. Francis of Paula. 

Imitating St. Francis of Assisi, St. Fran- 
cis of Paula was distinguished for his great 
humility, and, having founded an Order of 
religious, he desired that they should bear 
the name of Minims, the better to express 
the lowliness in which they were to maintain 
themselves. His austerity was also very 
great; in his rule the religious were bound 



158 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

by vow to observe abstinence, and to this he 
added the constant practice of using only- 
Lenten food, that is, without eggs or milk. 
Human reason protested against this ob- 
servance and for some time the saint was 
disturbe^d, but he was confirmed in his reso- 
lution by a celestial light. "God," says Bel- 
larmine, "desired this austerity as an antici- 
pated reparation for the attacks of Protest- 
antism against the practice of fasting and 
abstinence and against the right of the 
Church to impose it." Nevertheless St. 
Francis de Paula put charity above every- 
thing and prescribed nothing, nor gave, nor 
received anything but with those words 
which became the motto of his Order: "In 
charity." When he came into France the 
Dominican confessors of Lquis XI intro- 
duced him to that monarch, who became a 
protector of the Minims. He died on Good 
Friday. There exists a custom of honoring 
him on thirteen Fridays, the number of days 
in thirteen weeks, recalling the ninety-one 
years of his life (1507). 

Prayer — "O Lord, into Thy hands I com- 
mend my spirit!" (Last words of St. Francis 
de Paula). 

Practice — Do all your actions and bear all 
contradictions in a spirit of charity. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 159 

APRIIi 3. 

The Stigmata of St. Catherine of Siena. 

It was on the 18th of August, 1370, in the 
Church of St. Christina at Pisa that St. 
Catherine of Siena, who was already con- 
formed to her Divine Spouse Jesus by an 
exchange of hearts and endowed with a 
ring as a pledge that he deigned to make 
her His spouse by faith — received also in 
her body the marks of His sacred wounds. 
Her first thought, amidst the inconceivable 
sufferings which . they caused her, was to 
say: "Lord, grant at least that the wounds 
may not be visible." Behold the humility 
of the saints and the best proof that their 
extraordinary favors come from God. Dur- 
ing several weeks it seemed as if Catherine 
was about to die. But God spared her at 
the prayers of her disciples and from that 
tim^e, the wounds, luminous but not bleeding, 
far from rendering her more feeble, became 
a source of strength and vigor. After such 
a favor one can understand how in her let- 
ters and dialogues, her language is so ex- 
alted, so theologically correct and so touch- 
ing when she speaks of the "Lamb slain," 
of Jesus crucified and of the virtue and 
beauty of His preciou^ blood, in which her 
pen seems steeped. The reality of the stig- 



160 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

mata was at first disputed, but Benedict 
XIV defended it and the Holy See has au- 
thorized its feast. 

Prayer — Holy Spouse of Jesus, obtain ^or 
me that I may prefer the lowest degree of 
humility to the most sublime favors. 

Practice — Suffer in peace and under the 
eyes of Jesus all bodily pains; do not speak 
of them except from duty, instead of talking 
of them in self-complacency and murmuring. 



APRIL 4. 

St. Ambrose, B. and D. 

St. Ambrose was prefect of Milan when 
the people by a divine inspiration appointed 
him bishop. In the midst of a most difficult 
political situation he maintained the rights 
of the Church and of the Truth without dis- 
couragement and without respect of persons, 
especially against the Arian heresy. He 
condemned Theodosius to do public penance 
for the massacre of Thessalonica, but he 
excused himself by quoting the example of 
David. "You have copied him in his sin," 
Ambrose firmly replied, "copy him also in 
his penitence." This prince afterwards said 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 161 

to him: "I understand now what a distance 
there is between an emperor and a bishop." 
St. Ambrose had a great compassion for 
souls and wept with his penitents when they 
acknowledged theii: faults, so that thej^ were 
obliged to weep with him Persons of all 
classes had free access to his house and even 
without speaking to him, the mere sight of 
him, humble, devout, recollected, wrapt in 
study or meditation as they always found 
him, left them penetrated with a sense of 
the divine presence. It was this sight which 
disposed St. Augustine for conversion. St. 
Ambrose, when dying, stretched out his 
hands in the form of a cross the more nearly 
to resemble his Master. After his death five 
bishops could hardly do all he had done 
alone for the catechumens. His writings 
are still admired in the Church, especially 
his work on virginity. His sister, Marcel- 
lina, has been numbered among the virgm 
saints and St. Paulinus of Nola was a dis- 
ciple of his (397). 

Prayer — "O Christ, Thou hope of the hu- 
man race, guide with Thy right hand our 
frail barque that we perish not" (St. 
Augustine). 

Practice — Accept humbly the advice and 
correction given you in confession and often 
think of it during the week. 

11 



162 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

APRIIj 5. 

St. Vincent Ferrer, C, O. P. 

God healed St. Vincent Ferrer of a seri- 
ous malady and said to him: "Go and preach 
against vice, for I have chosen thee specially 
for this work." From that time he never 
ceased to preach the Gospel in all parts of 
Europe, trying to rouse souls from their 
lethargy by the consideration of the judg- 
ments of God. His miracles were so nu- 
merous and the crowds of people who at- 
tended his missions so extraordinary, that 
to prevent his being suffocated it was neces- 
sary for him, on entering a town, to be sur- 
rounded by a strong wooden hoop. "How 
about vanity all this time?" some one asked 
him. "It comes and it goes," the saint an- 
swered frankly and wittily, "but it does not 
stay," meaning that he could feel it, though 
he did not consent to it. His little treatise 
on the "Spiritual Life" is admired for its 
wisdom and spirit of penetration. It may be 
summed up into two maxims: to lose oneself 
in humility, and then to unite oneself to 
Our Lord Jesus Christ to receive a new 
life from him. He died at Vannes in Brit- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 168 

tany, where his relics are still preserved 
(1419). There is a special blessing of St. 
Vincent which is very efficacious for gar- 
dens and vines, and another for the cure, 
or at least improvement in health, and sane- 
tification of the sick. 

Prayer — O Jesus, I entreat Thee to give 
me at the hour of death, consciousness, the 
power of speech and a deep contrition. 

Practice — ^Judge no one, either openly or 

in thought, remembering that God w^ill 

treat you at the judgment as you have 
treated others. 



APRIL 6. 

Ven. Fr. Louis Oalco, C, O. P. 

Fr. Louis had a special zeal for the sanc- 
tification of priests, because he saw in this 
the best means of regenerating the Chris- 
tian people, and so his cell was always open 
to them. In order to be still more useful to 
them, he worked hard to establish the com- 
mon life for the clergy, a work in conformity 
with the traditions of the early ages, and 
promoted since by many holy persons in 



164 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

France and Germany, for example by the 
Ven. Holzhauser. The fundamental prin- 
ciples of Fr. Calco's Institute were subjec- 
tion to a common rule, life in community 
removed from dangerous occasions, com- 
munity of temporal goods, application to the 
exercises of prayer and mortification, indus- 
try in study, above all of the doctrine of St. 
Thomas, the formation of good manners and 
evenness of mind in its members, in spite 
of the varied characters of those with whom 
they had to deal. Clement IX encouraged 
him and so did the Bishop of Foggia, uncle 
of St. Alphonsus Liguori, but death pre- 
vented the servant of God from spreading 
his work as he desired (1709). After being 
buried for thirty years, his body v/as found 
incorrupt and flexible. In his fervor he had 
branded the holy Name of Jesus on his 
breast with a red-hot iron. His gift of dis- 
cernment of spirits was truly miraculous. 

Prayer — O Jesus, Eternal High Priest, live 
and act in Thy priests. 

Examen. — How do you speak of the min- 
isters of God? What respect do you feel 
when you have intercourse with them? 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 105 

APRIL 7. 

Veil. Fr. Thomas Catimpre or de Cham- 

pre, C, O. P. 

This holy servant of God- without neglect- 
ing his secular studies showed a marked 
predilection for sacred authors from his 
early youth. At sixteen he took the habit 
of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine. 
The opening of his apostolic career was 
greatly agitated by scruples; the sublime 
height and responsibility of his vocation 
used to make him tremble. But St. Lut- 
garde, a Cistercian, whom he venerated and 
listened to as an oracle, obtained for him 
light and peace of conscience. He after- 
wards entered the Order of St. Dominic 
(1232), and wrote a life of St. Christina and 
also of his benefactress, St. Lutgarde, who 
had already passed a better life, and of sev- 
eral other holy persons. His most cele- 
brated work is "The Government of Bees," 
in which he explains the economy of the 
spiritual life for the instruction of superiors 
and subjects under the figure of a beehive 
and the customs and habits of bees. His 
exalted piety, his profound humility, his ar- 
dent zeal, his cultivated mind, together with 



166 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

his simple yet dignified sweetness of manner, 
gained for him the friendship of the most 
distinguished persons of his time, and he 
was so universally held in esteem that his 
name is found inscribed in some lists of Bel- 
gian saints (127 — ?). 

Prayer — O my God, I will abandon myself 
entirely to Thy grace, as the Apostle bids 
•us — yes, without reserve. 

Practice — Strive to become, as is said of 
St. Cecilia, ''an industrious bee," ruling your 
life well and producing the best of honey, 
partly from the examples of the saints, partly 
from the bitter sorrow of our earthly life. 



APRIL 8. 

Ven. Mary of the Ascension, V., O. P. 

St. Teresa, who was so enlightened re- 
garding the ways of the int'Crior life, both 
by her own experience and by her intimacy 
with a number of souls very advanced in 
spiritual perfection, observes that, when 
God destines any one to a high state in the 
spiritual life. He usually prepares them for 
it by grievous sickness, or by severe interior 
trials. This preparation was not wanting 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 167 

in the case of Ven. Mary of the Ascension. 
She had to suffer various calumnies from 
her companions, a kind of trial most painful 
to a loyal soul, and then the desertion of 
those who were her most intimate friends, 
equally sad for one of a noble and sensitive 
nature. On the part of God, she was tried 
by sickness and by spiritual sufferings, 
which came upon her, sometimes one after 
another, sometimes all at the same time like 
a torrent, or an avalanche. But amidst these 
tribulations, she was able, like St. Teresa, to 
preserve serenity of soul, and her inter- 
course both with her Sisters and with people 
in the world was full of kindness. "The 
devil," she would say pleasantly, "desires to 
rob me of my good temper, but he is not 
going to have it.' 



» 



Prayer— "Thy rod and Thy staff, O Lord, 
have been my consolation" (Ps. xxii, 4). 
"Behold me in Thy hands, O Lord, I bow 
myself under the rod of Thy correction" 
(St. Augustine). 

Practice — Consider that affliction is a 
treasure for sinners, for penitents, for be- 
ginners and for the perfect (B. Henry Suso). 
Say five "Gloria Patri" with arms extended, 
asking pardon for the bad use you have 
made of your trials. 



168 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DO^IINICANS. 

APRIL 9. 

Bl. Antony of Pavona, M., O. P. 

While yet a young religious, Bl. Antony 
attracted the faithful to the Church and edi- 
fied them by his preaching, his modest man- 
ner and by his zeal in the confessional, and 
even by the agreeable and religious way in 
which he executed his monastic chant, mak- 
ing it, according to the recommendation of 
St. Bernard, serve to bring out the sense of 
the words, rather than to obscure it. The 
Bishop of Turin confided to him the task of 
defending the faith against the heretics called 
the Vandois. Calumny and corruption be- 
ing the means by which they best succeeded 
in propagating their false doctrines, this 
good soldier of Jesus Christ undertook to 
unmask their deceit by a clear, popular and 
convincing refutation, such as could be un- 
derstood by the people, and to reform their 
ways by promoting the practice of evangel- 
ical virtues. God revealed to him that his 
zeal would cost him his life, and he said to 
the man who was shaving him: "Shave me 
with great care, as you would one going to 
a wedding." "But there is no wedding go- 
ing to take place here," the man objected. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 169 

'*I Speak the truth, do not doubt it," said 
Bl. Antony. And after he had spent the 
night in prayer, said Mass with fervor and 
preached the truth for the last time, seven 
heretics attacked him as he was coming out 
of the church and killed him (1374).. 

Prayer — "Do Thou, O Lord, vouchsafe to 
establish me on the firm foundation of faith, 
to defend me with the impregnable buckler 
of hope, and to clothe me with the nuptial 
garment of charity" (St. Thomas Aquinas). 

Practice — Pray for timid Catholics, espe- 
cially for those who by their position set 
a notable example. 



APRIL 10. 

Bl. Antony Neyrot, M., O. P. 

Although outwardly a religious, Bl. An- 
tony was living in a state of great tepidity, 
when he set out on a sea voyage against 
the will of his superiors. "To quit obedi- 
ence is to fly in the face of Providence." 
He fell into the hands of the Tunisian Cor- 
sair, Nardus Anequint, who succeeded in 
making him deny the faith. At the end of 
four months, hearing of the death of St. 



170 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Antoninus, whose disciple he had been at 
St. Mark's without paying much heed to his 
teaching, he entered into himself, publicly 
abjured his errors and distributed among the 
poor the money sent him by Christians and 
resolved to prepare for his final combat by 
fasting on bread and water. After two 
months, during which the tyrant, disap- 
pointed, humiliated and irritated, tried by 
every means to shake his constancy Bl. An- 
tony was condemned to be stoned. The 
showers of stones rained upon him could 
draw from him no cry of pain; although 
free and unchained, he remained with his 
body upright and firm as if fixed by nails, 
his eyes raised to Heaven; he seemed like 
another St. Stephen. This took place not 
far from the spot where St. Cyprian was be- 
headed. The Mahomedans could not suc- 
ceed in burning his corpse, which was rev- 
erently taken away by some Genoese mer- 
chants; even his hair remained unsinged 
(1460). 

Prayer — Do not trust me, O my God, for 
at any moment, and even to-day, I am 
capable of shamefully denying Thee. 

Practice — Undertake nothing but in reli- 
ance on the grace of God, and then only 
under obedience. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 171 

APRIL 11. 

St. Leo the Great, Pope, D. 

St. Leo showed his great humility by say- 
ing in his first sermon after being raised to 
the Pontificate: "O Lord, I have heard Thy 
voice and I was afraid, for is there any- 
thing so strange as work confided to the 
feeble, greatness to the little and dignity to 
the unworthy?" One of his chief sources 
of strength was prayer, and he several times 
fasted for forty days in honor of St. Peter 
the Apostle, who deigned himself to cor- 
rect the letter to Flavian, which is a master- 
piece as an exposition of the mystery of the 
Incarnation. Leo struggled during twenty- 
one years, as Pope, against the barbarians 
and heretics. By his words alone Attila, 
King of the Huns, was deterred from enter- 
ing Rome. Genseric, an Arian prince, and 
less tractable, spared the city from fire and 
sword, though not from pillage. Leo also 
foiight nobly against the Manichaeans, the 
Donatists, the Nestorians and the Pelagians, 
when possible by persuasion, but if he saw 
that was useless, by repression. Above all 
he had Eutyches, as monk of Constantinople, 
condemned by the Council of Chalcedon 



172 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

(451) for denying the distinction of the two 
natures in the person of Our Lord Jesus 
Christ. One of the responsibilities which 
occupied St. Leo towards the end of his 
life was the conferring Holy Orders, so 
well did he understand the qualities re- 
quired for receiving this grace and the evil 
which they could do who received it without 
sufficient virtue or a right spirit (461). 

Prayer — "O my God, I pray for all, but 
above all for Thy Vicar and those who sur- 
round him" (St. Catherine of Sienna). 

Practice — Let your grave and modest de- 
meanor cause religion to be respected by 
the wicked. 



APRIL 12. 

Ven. Fr. Peter de la Coste, M., O. P. 

The devil has been called by Jesus ihe 
father of lies; he is indeed most worthy of 
this name and he will never change. Her- 
esy, the child of the devil, is then the child 
of lies; to show it as it is, is to refute and 
destroy it. This is what Ven. Fr. Peter de la 
Coste did in disputing with the Huguenots 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 173 

or disciples of Calvin, Protestant heretics 
who had improved on the errors of Luther 
and who had imprinted on their so-called 
reformed religion as special characteristics, 
terror and pharasaic austerity. Of this sect 
came the English Puritans. Peter de la Coste 
having drawn up in a very learned and con- 
clusive way all the arguments 'in favor of 
the Real Presence, of the Sacrifice of the 
Mass and the necessity of good works, set 
out for Paris to get the work printed. But 
the heretics dreaded this book with good 
reason, for it would have held the field for 
a long time and been more widely diffused 
abroad than his sermons, since they were 
only heard once and that by a very limited 
audience. Therefore they waylaid the holy 
religious on his journey and stopped him, 
and killed him by hanging him to a tree 
(1588). 

Prayer — How sad our life would be, O my 
God, without the Sacrifice of the Mass and 
Holy Communion. 

Practice — Distribute the Catholic publica- 
tions most likely to dispel popular prejudices 
against the faith and to increase devotion 
to the Blessed Sacrament, to the Blessed 
Virgin Mary, to the souls in Purgatory and 
to our holy Mother the Church. 



174 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

APRIL 13. 

Bl. Margaret of Castello, V., O. P. 

Bl. Margaret was blind from childhood 
and finding herself abandoned by all, even 
by her parents and pious persons, she had 
recourse to the Infant Jesus. Immediately 
a little child stood before her, and led her 
to the prioress of the Dominican nuns at 
Citta di Castello, who received her as a 
religious. Every Friday she fasted on 
bread and water. Her spirit of penance 
gained for her a wonderful understanding 
of the Psalms and a special love for the 
mystery of the Incarnation. She learned the 
Psalter by heart and drew out its different 
meanings like a St. Augustine or a St. 
Thomas. It was her chief prayer, together 
with the Little Office of the Cross and that 
of the Blessed Virgin. Pier infused knowl- 
edge was so great that she was even al- 
lowed to correct the literary work of some 
of the pupils and to give them lessons in 
grammar. She died full of merits, at the 
age of thirty-three. During life she had 
often said: "Oh, if you only knew what I 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 175 

have in my heart!" There were found there 
three small stones, like diamonds, repre- 
senting Jesus, Mary and Joseph. 

Prayer — O God of mercy, give me ardently 
to desire. Thy good pleasure, to seek it pru- 
dently and to accomplish it perfectly. 

Practice — Reverence and serve the Infant 
Jesus in the weakness of your neighbor. 
Love above all to help these who are aban- 
doned by every one. 



APRIL 14. 

BL Peter Gonzales, Galled '*Telmo," 

C, O. P. 

One Christmas Day, BL Gonzales, desirous 
of attracting admiration, was riding through 
the streets of Palencia on a magnificently 
decorated horse, accompanied by his dissi- 
pated friends, when he was thrown from his 
horse into the mud. At this sight, the ad- 
miration of the bystanders was changed 
into mockery. But God, Who had thus 
humbled his pride, raised him up by the 
same humiliation. He felt suddenly en- 
lightened as to the nothingness of all earthly 
things, he rendered to the world contempt 



176 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

for contempt, and, led by an interior voice, 
he entered without delay into our Order, 
to which he was attracted by the perfume 
of its poor, mortified, apostolic and edifying 
life. His was not a mere passing conversion 
due to sudden impulse; he applied himself 
to lead a new life, he studied day and night 
in the Holy Scriptures, and became a great 
apostle. During his missions he never left 
a house where he had been received without 
having heard the confessions of all who lived 
in it — father, mother, children and servants. 
During his life he delivered some sailors 
from a tempest when they invoked him. 
From that time he has been regarded as the 
patron of mariners and countless travel- 
lers, vessels, ports and towns have experi- 
enced his protection. Many confraternities, 
especially in seaport towns, have been 
erected in his honor and enriched with in- 
dulgences (1246). 

Prayer — It is necessary that our feelings 
should suffer, in order that our souls may 
receive the fruit of life: that is the law (St. 
Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — When you have committed a 
fault in the presence of others, instead of 
being discouraged, say with David: "It is 
good for me, O Lord, that Thou has hum- 
bled me" (Ps. 118). 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 177 

APRIL 15. 

Illustrious Joachim Ko, Mandarin, 
M., T., O. P. 

This noble Chinese was an admirer of the 
doctrine of Confucius, whom the Chinese 
regard as the founder of their national relig- 
ion. Some of his moral maxims are beau- 
tiful, but with no better foundation than a 
vague spiritualism and a very ill defined idea 
of Heaven. Though only slightly acquainted 
with Christianity, Joachim, seeing in it the 
most perfect morality solidly established on 
divine revelation, was converted and received 
baptism from a Jesuit Father. He immedi- 
ately began to help the missionaries as a 
catechist and, by his high position, caused 
the Gospel to be so highly esteemed that 
he became the father of a flourishing Chris- 
tian community. Having laid aside fear and 
stripped himself entirely of all national prej- 
udice, he combated valiantly against the 
worship of ancestors in which, under a dis- 
guised form, the Chinese render to creatures 
the honor due to God and the saints. He 
became a Dominican Tertiary, rose every 
night for Matins, made an hour's mental 

12 



178 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

prayer and kept, as far as possible, the ab- 
stinence like the Fathers. During an inva- 
sion of the Tartars, he was captured and 
condemned to death with his son, through 
hatred of the faith. He went to his execu- 
tion rosary in hand (1649). 

Prayer — "I thank Thee, O my God, for 
having given me the faith, which is the be- 
ginning, the middle and the end of perfec- 
tion" (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Maintain a spirit of concord 
among those who join in your good works. 



APRIIi IG. 

Ven. Fr. John de Castro, O. P. 

Fr. John had in early life a great attrac- 
tion towards the foreign missions, and de- 
voted himself to those of the Philippine 
Islands. On his arrival, in order to prove 
that the work of God is not founded only 
on piety and austerity, but also on truth 
and knowledge, he caused public disputa- 
tions to be held. His zeal was not less 
great for the Divine Office, which he chanted 
with his few religious with so much zeal and 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 179 

fervor that it sounded as if sung by a large 
choir. In spite of the heavy work of the 
mission, he added to the Divine Office the 
daily recitation of that of the Blessed Vir- 
gin and also Bl. Jordan's salutation to the 
holy name of Mary and the fruitfulness of 
their apostolate was thereby increased. He 
made an attempt to carry the Gospel into 
China, but was obliged to return after a long 
imprisonment. Nevertheless he rejoiced that 
he had tried, because it had brought him 
much suffering and humiliation for Jesus 
Christ. At the end of his life, he was 
troubled with a great fear of the judgments 
of God. He was penetrated with those 
words of St. Augustine: "Alas for the most 
praiseworthy life, if Thou, O Lord, examine 
it without listening to Thy mercy" (1592). 

Prayer — "O Lord, as there are so many 
temptations at the hour of death, I protest 
now before Thee, before Blessed Mary and 
before my angel guardian that I desire to 
live and die in the faith and in the fear of 
all sin'* (St. Vincent Ferrer). 

Practice — When your enterprises do not 
succeed, thnik that this is advantageous for 
your eternal welfare and give thanks to God. 



ISO SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

APRIL 17. 

Bl. Clara, Called "Tora," W., T., O. P. 

At the age of twelve Bl. Clara was forced 
to accept an earthly spouse. But often at 
the Elevation during Holy Mass, she ex- 
pressed to God her desire for a more per- 
fect life, encouraged in this by the letters 
she received from St. Catherine of Siena. 
At the end of three years she became a 
widow and thenceforth her only thought was 
to consecrate herself wholly to God, a de- 
sign which so annoyed her parents that they 
shut her up in prison. At last, however, 
they set her free and her father himself built 
her a monastery where she established strict 
observance. After the example of St. Dom- 
inic, she avoided all conversation which had 
not God for its end. In her love of poverty^ 
she absolutely refused the legacy which a 
gentleman desired to bestow on her con- 
vent and with much persuasion she got him 
to leave it to a foundling institute instead. 
Her way of treating her religious Sisters 
was very gentle, and she desired that the 
sick should have not merely necessaries, 
but all that could console them. At the 
same time she was inflexible with regard to 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 181 

all that concerned the perfect enclosure. 
After her death, the Sisters who were pray- 
ing by her body said the "Gloria Patri" in- 
stead of the "Requiem aeternam" at the 
end of each Psalm, though this was con- 
trary to their intention (1419). 

Prayer — "Enable me, O my God, to keep 
my tongue from idle words, my eyes from 
wandering glances, that I may raise up my 
spirit towards celestial things and desire 
Thee alone" (St. Thomas Aquinas). 

Practice — When you are crossed in yonr 
plans, redouble your confidence and self- 
abandonment; Providence has its own 
views and time. 



APRIL 18. 

Bl. Robert of Avignon, C, O. P. 

Bl. Robert belonged to one of the notable 
families in Uzes. The recollection of a 
blessing received from a kindly Dominican, 
when still a child, awakened in him an at- 
traction for the religious life. He received 
the gift of prophecy and had some very de- 
.tailed revelations concerning the evils ex- 
isting in the Church and in the Order, which 



182 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

had fallen at that time into relaxation. Like 
Jeremiah, he suffered great sorrow in his 
soul, but without being discouraged; on the 
contrary he preached penitence everywhere, 
he freely reproached prelates for having 
fallen away from the true ecclesiastical spirit, 
and preachers for the subtle and pretentious 
style which they affected in the pulpit and 
which left poor souls hungering for solid 
Christian instruction. His celestial visions 
made him still more humble and mortified. 
He died in the odor of sanctity. His coffin 
raised itself from the earth at the funeral, 
by which it was understood that it should 
be kept, not under the feet of the brethren, 
but high up, in the walls of the sanctuary, 
as is usual with the beatified. It was the 
custom for the officiating priest to incense 
the relics in sign of veneration and honor 
(1296). 

Prayer — O my God, put an end to our 
present evils, which come from charity 
grown cold. 

Practice — Receive the blessing of a priest 
or bishop in the spirit of faith, and when 
you have no opportunity of receiving it, 
bow your head in secret to receive that of 
Jesus and Mary. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 18o 

APRIL 19. 

1 
Bl. Fr. Peter Guillot and His Companions, 

Martyrs, O. P. 

The Calvinists pursued the Friars Preach- 
ers everywhere throughout the South of 
France, even to the Pyrenees and often im- 
prisoned them for refusing to reveal the 
secrets of the confessional before the civil 
tribunals. At Castres, the Catholics, threat- 
ened by the heretics, took refuge in the con- 
vent of the Friars. In their fury they broke 
down the gates and knocked down and beat 
the religious and those who had taken shel- 
ter with them. But their fiercest rage was 
turned against the Prior, Fr. Guillot. They 
seated him on an ass, with his face to its tail, 
put a bit in his mouth and led him through 
the town, overwhelmed with insults and 
pelted with stones. Then they stabbed him 
and threw his body into the river, where in 
their fury, they continued to fire upon him, 
as if the water were too slow in drowning 
him. What superhuman strength God gives 
to His martyrs! This one, still breathing 
and coming for an instant -to the surface of 
the water, threw up his arms and cried out* 
"Gredo, credo, credo" (1568). 



184 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Prayer — O my God, forgive our persecu- 
tors, they do not know Thee and they know 
not what they do. 

Practice — Make often in the day an act of 
faith, or at least a short one, saying three 
times: "Credo, credo, credo." 



APRIL 20. 

St. Agnes of Montepulciano, V., O. P. 

x\t the age of four St. Agnes was so united 
to God that often during prayer her body 
was raised an arm's length above the ground. 
The Pope appointed her when only fifteen 
Superioress of the Sisters of Sac, and she 
was afterwards inspired to found a convent 
of Dominican nuns on a hill which had been 
the site of houses of ill repute. Her morti- 
fication was so great that she fasted for 
fifteen years on bread and water. But in 
return, during her prayer, angels showered 
upon her a celestial manna, and lilies, vio- 
lets and roses sprang up in those places 
where she had held intercourse with Our 
Lord. One day the Mother of God ap- 
peared to her and put the Infant Jesus into 
her arms. When she took Him back, Agnes, 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 18.") 

with the boldness of love, kept the little 
cross which the Holy Child wore round his 
neck. St. Catherine of Sienna prayed be- 
fore the relics of St. Agnes and bent down 
to kiss her feet, whereupon one of the feet 
gently raised itself towards her lips. Be-- 
larmine, who was a compatriot of the saint, 
once saw a preacher who was very eloquent 
against vice and whom the heretics had de- 
prived of his voice by sorcery. He recov- 
ered it at once by invoking St. Agnes. 

Prayer — ''Let us pray and continue to 
pray, even when misfortunes and calamities 
fall upon us" (St. Agnes). 

Practice — In prayer, speak to God with 
confidence, being assured that He loves you 
and not content with the flowers of good 
desires, draw from prayer the fruit of good 

works. 



APRIL 31. 

Bl. Bartholomew, M., O. P. 

Bl. Bartholomew was while still young so 
distinguished for learning that he was con- 
sidered worthy to be made licenciate, doc- 
tor and master in theology all in one day. 
He showed his zeal in forming to the in- 



186 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

terior life the religious of Savigliano and 
Revello. Being sent to Cerveri as Inquis- 
itor, he had a revelation of his death, and to 
prepare himself for it, he made a very fer- 
vent confession before setting out. Soon 
after he was attacked by five heretics, who 
laid wait for him by the way and pierced 
his body all over with jtheir lances. Three 
wonders appeared at his martyrdom; it was 
at sunset, but a new sun appeared in the 
east, as. a symbol of the brightness of his 
faith; at the place where he was killed there 
grew up a tree whose branches and leaves 
were in the form of a cross, and his body, 
though lacerated, did not shed one drop of 
blood under the weapons of the assassins, 
yet when his brethren came to bury it, 
streams of blood flowed from the wounds. 
He is invoked against hail and lightning. 
He revived and spread the pious custom of 
putting the monogram of Christ at the be- 
ginning of letters and of books and over 
houses (1466). 

Prayer — O Jesus, let faith be the sun of 
my soul, even in the ordinary actions of life. 

Practice — Examine if all the actions of 
your life are marked with the Cross. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 187 

APRIL 22. 

Ven. Fr. Bernardine of Lucca, C, O. P. 

After having founded the Association of 
the Regular Clerks of the Mother of God, 
Fr. Bernardine was of great assistance in re- 
establishing regular discipline in his own 
Order, and for this purpose he founded the 
Congregation of the Abruzzi. He was at 
Rome at the time when there was question 
of condemning the works of Savonarola and 
he used every entreaty to avert this misfor- 
tune. St. Philip Neri, who joined with him 
in these supplications, cried out in ecstasy: 
'^Victory, victory, our prayer is heard," In 
fact, no censure was passed, only certain 
sermons were disapproved which were open 
to false interpretation. Fr. Bernardine, as 
an act of thanksgiving, established certain 
exercises on the Fridays in Lent. The Lit- 
anies were sung, then the Miserere, alter- 
nately by the Friars and the people, then a 
sermon was preached calculated to excite 
compunction and to promote progress in 
Christian perfection. This Father was one 
of those charged by St. Pius V, then cardi- 
nal, to control the exercises given by St. 
Philip at the Oratory, which certain jealous 



188 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

people described as grotesque and wanting 
in sound doctrine. The result was all in 
praise of the saint, who regarded him with 
lively gratitude. 

Prayer — Forgive me, O my God, for hav- 
ing criticised sermons which were not to 
my taste. 

Practice — Assist at some pious exercise 
on Saturdays, or choose some to be per- 
formed in your own house. 



APRIL 23. 
Ven. Fr. Peter Quintin, C, O. P. 

Peter was following honorably the profes- 
sion of arms, was brave, well-disciplined, a 
defender of the oppressed, when one day a 
voice from on high said to him: *'Take and 
read." He came across the "Confessions of 
St. Augustine" and was led by them to 
despise the world and embrace the religious 
state. On the day of his first Mass, he dis- 
tributed among the poor the sumptuous re- 
past which had been prepared and would 
only eat of what was left. It was in 1G02 
that he took the habit of the Order by the 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 189 

advice of the Ven. Le Noblets and he main- 
tained great fervor in spite of the laxity 
then unfortunately prevalent. His apostolic 
zeal was exercised all over Brittany. He 
knew the Gospel of St. Matthew and the 
Epistles of St. Paul by heart and when pro- 
nouncing the Holy Name, he seemed to be 
taken out of himself. A bishop came to visit 
him, and wishing out of veneration to make 
way for the holy man, the latter fell at his 
feet and kissed them, and then in the ardor 
of his faith, taking the bishop in his arms, 
he carried him to the threshold of the clois- 
ter. At the time of the carnival, he showed 
an astonishing boldness in stopping dis- 
orders, even driving away gamblers and 
taking their money if they showed resist- 
ance. He possessed the gift of prophecy as 
well as that of miracles, and one day he 
calmed a violent storm on the sea by dip- 
ping his rosary into it. 

Prayer — O my God, grant that instead of 
drawing me away, the indifference which I 
see in the world may increase my fervor. 

Practice — Read chapter thirty-six of Book 
X of the "Confessions of St. Augustine," 
or chapter eight of Book HI of the "Imita- 
tion of Jesus Christ." 



190 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

APRIL 24. 

The Holy Crown of Thorns. 

The holy Crown of Thorns was given to 
the King St. Louis, in reward for services 
rendered by him to the Church and espe- 
cially the crusades undertaken for the deliv- 
erance of the holy places. One of our 
Fathers, Fr. Bartholomew of Braganza, took 
it to him with great solemnity, and the King 
had built for its reception in Paris that mas- 
terpiece of Gothic art, the Ste. Chapelle. 
This crown is not only a pious souvenir of 
the exterior sufferings of Jesus — it is also 
an important symbol of the mystery of the 
Redemption. (1) It is composed of thorns; 
indeed our human nature, under the curse 
of sin, has been condemned to bring forth 
of itself nothing but thorns and briars. 
(2) Our Saviour takes upon Himself these 
thorns and frees our hearts from them; the 
pain does not cease, but it becomes fruitful 
of sweet gifts of grace. (3) These thorns 
were in the form of a crown. For the ene- 
mies of Jesus it was a crown of derision. 
But without knowing what they do. they 
do what God wills. They proclaim that the ^ 
Saviour by His love and sufferings, be- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 191 

comes by a new title our King, the con- 
queror of our souls, and in conquering He 
crowns the heads of each one of his subjects. 

Prayer — O Jesus, crowned with thorns, I 
bless Thee for having freed me and I desire 
to serve Thee as my King] 

Practice — Think how Our Lord has ac- 
cepted the crown of thorns to expiate your 
thoughts of pride, of presumption and of 
selfishness and strive thoroughly to root 
out these vices. 



APRIL 35. 

St. Mark, Evangelist. 

St. Mark was the beloved disciple of the 
Prince of the Apostles, who charged him 
to explain to the unlettered of the flock the 
mysteries of the faith and the facts of the 
life of Our Divine Saviour. This he did so 
well that he was told to write these things 
down, and his Gospel was approved by St. 
Peter, who, it is said, charged St. Martial to 
carry it into Gaul. Mark not only wrote 
the Gospel, but he also sealed his faith in it 
with his blood, for he was taken and thrown 



192 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

into prison in Egypt, which country he had 
evangelized and where he had instructed in 
perfection the monks then flourishing there, 
destined to increase so greatly later, by 
whom he was always looked on as their 
father. Our Lord appeared to him in his 
dungeon, saying: "Peace be to thee, Mark, 
My evangelist." To which the disciple re- 
plied: "Lord Jesus"; his joy and love could 
find no other words. The pagans put him 
to death by dragging him over ground cov- 
ered with rocks. One of his successors in 
the See of Alexandria dared not take his seat 
on the episcopal throne, seeing there a 
miraculous radiance left there by the holy 
evangelist. St. Mark is the patron of the 
celebrated Tuscan Congregation of Domin- 
icans which bears his name. That is why 
Bl. Angelico, who was a member of it, often 
represents him in his pictures at Florence 
and elsewhere. 

Prayer — O Jesus, let my soul be penetrated 
with the maxims of Thy Gospel, above all 
with that of the necessity of doing violence 
to self. 

Practice — Read the last chapter of the 
Gospel according to St, Mark. 



S^ 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 193 

APRIL 26. 

BB. Dominic and Gregory, CO., O. P. 

Jhese two holy religious distinguished 
themselves in Spain by an ardent desire to 
follow in the footsteps of our holy father 
St. Dominic. Although they exercised their 
zeal in all parts, they had a special attrac- 
tion to preach the Gospel to those living in 
the mountain districts, most worthy on ac- 
count of their neglected state and their igno- 
rance, and also most dear to God on ac- 
count of their simplicity. One day these 
two Friars were near Bezany when a ter- 
rible storm coming on obliged them to 
take shelter under a rock. The huge mass, 
shaken it is said by the demon who was 
irritated by their zeal, but in any case by the 
permission of God, Who knew them to be 
ready for death, fell upon and crushed them 
to death. At the same time the bells of 
the neighboring country all rang out of 
themselves to celebrate the ascension of 
the two religious to their heavenly country, 
and the people, guided by a miraculous light, 
found them clasped in a fraternal embrace 
and exhaling a delicious perfume, like that 
of crushed spikenard or cinnamon. When 

10 



194 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

the tempest roars, or when drought desolates 
the country, their holy relics are exposed in 
the porch of the church, and many graces 
are obtained through their intercession. 

Prayer — O my God, I accept beforehand 
the hour and all the circumstances of my 
death, but preserve me from dying without 
Thy grace. 

Examen. — Do you abandon yourself will- 
ingly to God in all that regards your health, 
your fortune, your safety in journeys? Have 
you confidence that He will supply you 
bountifully with the means of salvation? 



APRIL 27. 

Ven. Fr. Bartholomew of the Martyrs, 
Archbishop, O. P. 

Fr. Bartholomew feared the episcopate so 
much that neither the request of the King 
of Portugal nor the counsels of Ven. Louis 
of Granada could induce him to accept it; 
it required th(i order of higher superiors, 
under pain of excommunication. But the 
same spirit of faith which led him to shun 
the obligations of this dignity gave him all 
the. necessary dispositions to fulfill it well. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 195 

The most remarkable of these qualities was 
an unalterable firmness, which rendered him 
the enemy of relaxation and irregularity in 
his own diocese, and which at the Council 
of Trent emboldened him to claim without 
flinching the reform of abuses among all 
classes of the clergy at the risk of seriously 
displeasing some very eminent personages. 
His recreation was the study of the Holy 
Scripture, which he called "the bishop's 
garden." He was united by a common tie 
to St. Charles Borromeo, both having the 
same ideas regarding the necessity of rais- 
ing the tone of the sacerdotal and the Chris- 
tian life in the Church. One of his greatest 
means of doing good was the pastoral visita- 
tion, from which nothing deterred him, 
neither fatigue, nor perils, nor the insignifi- 
cance of the hamlets. "So long as there is 
one soul to be saved," he would say, "one 
cannot do too much." In his old age he 
resigned his charge, in order to prepare for 
eternity and employed his leisure in teach- 
ing catechism to peasants. 

Prayer — O my God, raise me up above all 
human respect! 

Practice — Examine whether your natural 
disposition does not lead you to practice to 
mistake softness for gentleness and asperity 
for firmness. 



196 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

APRIL 28. 

St. Paul of the Cross. 

This Saint had a special devotion to the 
Passion of Our Lord. His thirst for mar- 
tyrdom led him to enroll himself as a sol- 
dier in an expedition against the Turks, 
hoping thus to die for the faith. But God 
destined him for another kind of warfare. 
He founded the Congregation of the Pas- 
sionists, the most austere of modern Con- 
gregations of the regular clergy, a founda- 
tion foretold twenty years in advance by 
Ven. Fr. Louis Calco, O. P. The Passion- 
ists rise at midnight and practice many cor- 
poral mortifications in order to be con- 
formed to the sufferings of Jesus and to 
obtain the conversion of sinners. They also 
take a fourth vow, to strive to reanimate 
in souls the remembrance of the Passion. 
St. Paul of the Cross had such an ardent 
love for Jesus Christ that his clothes seemed 
to be burnt round his heart, and when 
preaching he could be heard at a great dis- 
tance. He recommended to his sons the 
study of the doctrine of St. Thomas, know- 
ing well that it would render their life of 
prayer and apostolic preaching more solid. 
He had himself given the example by attend- 



SAIJN^TS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 197 

ing for some time the course of theological 
studies at the Minerva. On his death-bed 
St. Paul of the Cross recommended his In- 
stitute to Fr. Boxadors, General of the Do- 
minicans, and to the whole Order of Friars 
Preachers, whom he esteemed for their loy- 
alty to the faith and loved for their devotion 
to Mary. 

Prayer — O Cross, although thou art so 
painful, the unction of grace makes m« 
love thee. • 

Practice — Try to spread devotion to the 
Way of the Cross and to the five wounds. 



APRIL 29. 

St. Peter Martyr, O. P. 

It often happens in families that the evil 
dispositions of parents are transmitted by 
birth and education to their children. 
Thanks to a special providence, our Saint, 
though born of heretical parents, remained 
always firm in the true faith. He received 
the habit of St. Dominic at the age of 
fifteen from our holy Father himself, pre- 
served all his life the lily of virginity with- 
out stain and was a perfect model of hu- 



198 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

mility to all his brethren. He was distin- 
guished for the integrity of his faith and was 
a martyr to the fundamental dogma of the 
unity of God, against the Manichaeans, who 
hold the doctrine of two rival principles, 
one good and the other evil, disputing the 
sovereignty of the world. In order to pro- 
claim the truth to the last, at the moment 
when he was expiring at the hands of the 
assassins he dipped his finger in his blood 
and wrote on the sand: *'P believe in one 
God." The renown of his sanctity was so 
great and his miracles so numerous that he 
was canonized a year after his death. Car- 
inus, the chief of his assassins, entered the 
Order as a lay brother and died in the odor 
of sanctity after forty years of penance. 
St. Peter Martyr instituted at Florence and 
Milan a crusade against the heretics. 

Prayer — O God, Who art one alone, may 
all my actions render homage to Thee. 

Practice — Meditate on these words of Our 
Lord to St. Catherine of Siena: "Look at 
Peter, a virgin and martyr; as long as he 
breathed he did nothing but pray, preach and 
dispute with the heretics. I announced to 
him his death, but like a true knight he knew 
no fear, advancing boldly to the field of 
battle." 



v 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 199 

APRIL 30. 

St. Catherine of Siena, V., T., O. P. 

There was at first some hesitation about 
admitting St. Catherine into the Third Or- 
der, yet she afterwards became its principal 
glory. In spite of the feebleness of her sex 
and her lack of worldly knowledge she pos- 
sessed in a high degree the double spirit of 
St. Dominic. So great was her advance- 
ment in the spiritual life that Our Lord 
called her *'His Sister by conformity of na- 
ture, His friend by charity, His dove by 
purity of soul and body." She excelled in 
finding God in the things of the material 
world and she was specially fond of flowers. 
Her ecstasies, which are summed up in the 
Dialogues, show us how she was enlight- 
ened in the knowledge of supernatural 
things. Her exterior life, which lasted, like 
that of Jesus Christ, thirty-three years, was 
consecrated to the salvation of souls, to the 
good of her country and to the defense of 
the Holy See and the rightful Pope. What 
an extraordinary honor for the daughter of 
a poor dyer to be called to bring back the 
Pope to Rome after seventy years of exile, 
the same time that the captivty in Babylon 



200 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 



lasted. In recognition of her devotion to 
the interests of the Holy See, Pius IX de- 
clared St. Catherine patroness with SS. Peter 
and Paul of the Roman Church. 

Prayer — ''O my God, remember the 
Church and its Supreme Head!" (Last words 
of St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Recite three times the prayer 
for the feast of St. Catherine. 



SUNDAY AFTER THE OCTAA E OF 

EASTER. 

Patronage of St. Joseph. 

The Ven. Fr. Jandel, sixty-third General 
of the Order, recommended to his sons de- 
votion to St. Joseph, observing that the in- 
vocation of the holy Patriarch in the Litany 
of the Saints according to the Dominican 
rite was of older date than that of the Ro- 
man. Indeed nothing is more helpful than 
this patronage. St. Joseph assists the young 
Dominican novice to imitate the simplicity 
and docility of the Infant Jesus. For those 
devout to the holy Rosary, he obtains a 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 201 

knowledge and love of the mysteries of 
Mary; the lay brother works with more 
courage under the eye and by the example 
of St. Joseph; those engaged in study can 
better sanctify in his sweet company the 
hours spent in their cell; the apostle, called 
to go into the world, carries there the same 
blessings which the Holy Family, with St. 
Joseph for guide, carried into Egypt. The 
dying sanctify under this holy patronage 
their last hours, and obtain a more peaceful 
end/ and after death receive more abundant 
prayers. It was in order to obtain these 
more fervent suffrages that the holy brother 
Joseph de Rueda every night when the bell 
rang for the prayers for the dead, went and 
sprinkled the graves with holy water, and 
then the cells of the prior and the brethren, 
in the hope that all would recite more de- 
voutly the prayers for the dead. 

Prayer — St. Joseph, my adopted patron, 
protect me in life and in death. 

Practice — Try to spread devotion to St. 
Joseph. 



202 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

MAY 1. 

SS. Philip and James, Apostles. 

St. Philip, from his earliest youth, was 
given to study and meditation on the Holy 
Scriptures. So when Jesus said to him: 
"Come, follow Me," he easily recognized 
in Him the Divine Redeemer, announced 
and prefigured throughout the Old Testa- 
ment, and he yielded to grace at once with 
his whole heart. He exercised his apostle- 
ship chiefly among the Scythians and was 
stoned to death for the faith in the year 54. 
St. James was a near relation of Our Blessed 
Lord and, we are told, was so like Him in 
appearance that, after the Ascension, Chris- 
tians went to Jerusalem in order to see in 
his face something of the features of the 
Saviour. He became the first Bishop of 
Jerusalem. He was thrown from the heights 
of the Temple by the Jews, and Avhen crushed 
and bruised he had still strength to say: 
"Lord, forgive them," when a fuller com- 
pleted his martyrdom with a club. St. James 
is the author of the first of the seven canon- 
ical Epistles, in which he recommends two 
things above all, viz., love of sufferings ?nd 
guard over the tongue. The description he 
gives of the evils caused by the tongue is a 
good subject for meditation for all, since 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 203 

he goes so far as to call it a world of in- 
iquity and to award the palm of perfection 
to those who keep free from sins of 
speech (63). 

Prayer — Listen to Our Lord saying to 
you as to St. Philip: "Have I been so long 
with you and you have not known Me." 

Practice — When a suitable occasion offers, 
speak of the goodness of God towards men. 



MAY 2. 

St. Athanasius of Alexandria. 

During forty-six years St. Athanasius took 
a leading part in the great struggle of the 
Church against Arianism, and it was against 
him chiefly that the hatred of the heretics 
was directed. Constantine and Constantius, 
obliged by their very office to protect the 
true faith, had nevertheless given their con- 
fidence to the heretics. St. Athanasius wan- 
dered in exile through many countries, hid- 
ing himself for five years in an empty cistern 
and dwelling for four months in the tomb 
of his ancestors. After incredible trials and 
being four times successively sent into ex- 
ile, he returned to die in peace in his native 



204 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

city of Alexkndria. Hence it is with good 
rieason that in the Mass of his feast, the 
words of St. Paul are applied to him: "My 
brethren, in all things we suffer tribulation, 
but are not distressed; we suffer persecu- 
tion, but we are not forsaken; we are cast 
down, but we perish not." Among his 
writings there are two beautiful letters of 
exhortation, one to solitaries and one to 
Christian virgins. A very wise monk named 
Comus said: "If you find anything by 
Athanasius and have not any paper, write 
it on your garments." This Saint is in- 
voked against headaches (373). 

Prayer — "The world sinks in death, but I 
believe, O Divine Goodness, that Thou hast 
a remedy" (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Be courageous in carrying out 
works which tend to the glory of God. 



MAY 3. 

Finding of the Holy Cross. 

Constantine, having seen in the heavens 
a miraculous cross when he was on the poi,nt 
of giving battle to the tyrant Maxentius, 
believed it to be a token of victory and he 
caused this saving sign to be thenceforth 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 205 

represented on the imperial standards. This 
was to proclaim openly that he placed all 
his power under the direction and at the 
service of Christ. The reward of this act 
of justice and piety was the- discovery of 
the precious wood of the Cross. The Em- 
press St. Helena procured for the Church 
by her fidelity and her researches this great 
good fortune. Two miracles followed the 
discovery of the true Cross to guarantee its 
authenticity. (1) Its contact restored a dead 
man to life and thus it was distinguished 
from those on which the two thieves were 
crucified along with our Lord. (2) Accord- 
ing to the testimony of St. Paulinus "this 
holy Cross, though divided into innumerable 
fragments to satisfy the desires of the faith- 
ful, yet was not diminished. Thus it is 
divisible for those among whom it is dis- 
tributed, but remains entire to the devotion 
of those who adore it." The largest por- 
tion of this precious wood is at Rome in 
the Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem. 

Prayer — "God forbid that I should glory 
in aught but the Cross of our Lord Jesus 
Christ" (St. Paul). 

Practice — Make the sign of the Cross in 
the spirit of faith when entering the church 
or beginning the hours of the Little Office 



206 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

of Our Lady, if as a Tertiary, you recite 
them. There is a little Office of the Cross 
worthy of being recited if you cannot say 
that of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 



MAY 4. 

St. Monica, Widow. 

St. Monica sets before us a beautiful ex- 
ample of the good which can be done in the 
world and in domestic life by a Christian 
wife and mother. And this not by under- 
taking anything extraordinary, but by loving 
care in the fulfillment of daily duties and 
gentle patience under the most severe trials. 
St. Augustine himself tells us this: **My 
mother was the handmaid of the servants 
of God; all those who came in contact with 
her had occasion to praise, honor and love 
God, Who dwelt in her heart, as might well 
be seen by her conversation and her good 
works. Her charity reunited in the bonds 
of affection those who were separated by 
hatred. By her affection and gentleness she 
bore up against the passionate outbreaks 
of her husband and her mother-in-law and 
ended by gaining both for God. But the 
great work of her life, the triumph of her 
confidence in God, was that she obtained 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 207 

frcm Him, by her earnest prayers and tears, 
the conversion of her son Augustine. Hav- 
ing gained this end, she cared for naught 
else but Heaven. She fell ill at Ostia and 
said to those who attended her: "Bury your 
mother here, only I beg of you to remember 
me at the altar." Many .Congregations of 
Christian Mothers have been founded and 
flourish under her patronage. 

Prayer — St. Monica, obtain for mothers 
who are sad and discouraged confidence in 
God; for those who do not know how to 
deal with differences of character the gift of 
counsel and piety. 

Practice — Deny yourself some pleasure as 
an offering for the conversion of the young 
who have gone astray. 



MAY 5. 

St. Pius V, Pope, C, O. P. 

St. Pius was born at Bosco in 1504 and 
received the habit of St. Dominic at the age 
of fourteen. The heroic virtues which he 
acquired during his religious life and the 
talents which were discovered in him, de- 
spite the extraordinary care he took to con- 
ceal them through humility, caused him 
to be appointed successively professor, 



208 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

preacher, inquisitor, bishop, cardinal and 
finally Pope. On the throne of St. Peter 
he distinguished himself by his zeal for the 
reform of the sacred liturgy and by his 
love of justice, which rendered him superior 
to personal influence and courageous in 
maintaining the law, and by his energy in 
the struggle against the enemies of the 
Church, especially the Mahomedans. ' In 
memory of the victory of Lepanto, which 
was gained over them more by his prayers 
than by the bravery of the Christian sol- 
diers, he instituted the solemn feast of Our 
Lady of the Rosary and added to the Litany 
of the Blessed Virgin the invocation ''Aux- 
ilium Christianorum." He set himself to 
fight against his choleric temperament and 
to outrage and insult him was the way to 
gain his favor. St. Teresa knew of his death 
by revelation and exclaimed: "My Sisters, 
weep with me, for the Church is widowed of 
her holy Pastor" (1572). 

Prayer — "O most merciful God, visit often 
your vineyard which the savage beast seeks 
to destroy; protect those whose office it is 
to cultivate it and give them the victory" 
(St. Pius V). 

Practice — Offer all your prayers and sac- 
rifices of this day for the success of Cath- 
olic undertakings. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 209 

MAY 6. 

Octave Day of St. Peter Martyr. 
Ven. Fr. Bernard Guidonis, B., O. P. 

Yen. Fr. Bernard Guidonis entered the Or- 
der at Limoges, among religious advanced in 
sanctity, and he always gave evidence of hav- 
ing passed his early religious life in such holy 
company. Although he was prior and pro- 
fessor of theology at the same time, he re- 
fused to accept the dispensatons by day and 
by night usually accorded to the latter office. 
His merits caused him to be sent to 
Rome, where the Pope confided to him sev- 
eral important missions, and he was made 
Procurator General of the Order. He was 
also obliged to accept the bishopric of 
Sodere. His numerous works, "Santoral," 
^'Chronicles of the Order," etc., are much 
admired for their learning and wisdom. 
Having been made Inquisitor by the Holy 
See, he showed in his work, "Practice of the 
•Inquisition," the spirit of justice recom- 
mended by the Church to those who held 
authority in this tribunal. It was the cus- 
tom of the heretics to propagate their errors 
in secret, therefore it was necessary to seek 
them out and unmask them, in order to up- 

14 



210 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

hold the honor and rights of God, also 
to protect the faithful and the general in- 
terests of human society. But once they 
were converted and instructed and brought 
back to the truth, they were sure of pardon 
by means of penance. "Let the judge," 
says Bernard, "show himself inspired solely 
by zeal for souls and for the truth, ready to 
sacrifice his life for them." He died in 
1232, illustrious after, as before his death, by 
his miracles. 

Prayer — Vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, O 
Lord, to humble the enemies of the Church. 

Practice — Make an act of gratitude for 

the gift of the true faith. 



MAY 7. 

Octave Day of St. Catherine of Siena. 

St. Catherine of Siena, walking in the 
footsteps of our glorious Father, had a 
tender, enlightened and fervent devotion to 
Mary. As early as the age of five she used 
to recite a "Hail Mary" at each step of the 
staircase in order to sanctify the most in- 
diffeiient actions by associating them with 

t r 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 211 

devotion to the Blessed. Virgin. This love 
was solid as well as sweet, because it was 
based on the mystery of the Incarnation. 
She loved Mary for Jesus. More than that, 
she loved Mary by Jesus, the Divine Mas- 
ter having given her His own Heart with 
all its affections, of which the love of Mary 
was one of the .principal. It was in the 
spirit of this love that she cried out: "O 
Mary, temple of the Trinity! O Mary, cen- 
tre of divine love! O Mary, chariot of fire! 
O Mary, tranquil sea! O Mary, source of 
peace! thou hast saved the human race." 
The Immaculate Virgin did not fail to re- 
turn love for love, helping her in many 
ways, promising to send Bl. Raymond as a 
confessor likely to favor her aspirations 
after progress and presenting her to her 
Divine Son to receive the ring of heavenly 
espousals. All St. Catherine's letters were 
begun: "In the name of Jesus crucified and 
of the sweet Mary" (1380). 

Prayer — O Mary, I desire to love thee 
with a heart like St. Catherine's. 

Practice — Choose a virtue to practice dur- 
ing the month of May in honor of the 
Blesed Virgin and try to spread devotion to 
her, especially in schools and workshops. 



2X2 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

MAY 8. 

Bl. Joan of Arc, 

Every one knows the history of the shep- 
herdess of Domremy and the mysterious 
voices of St. Michael, St. Catherine and St. 
Margaret which urged her to undertake the 
salvation of France. The enterprise seemed 
foolhardy, the instrument inadequate and 
unsuitable, nevertheless the success was 
magnificent and speedy. Still more ad- 
mirable were the virtues of the heroine from 
her childhood to the time of her iniquitous 
condemnation. Fr. Martin TAdvenu, O. P., 
convinced of her orthodoxy and of her sanc- 
tity which he had studied closely, devoted 
himself courageously to help her till her 
death, and it was he who at her request held 
the crucifix high before her eyes, when she 
was burning at the stake. John of Brehal, 
O. P., grand inquisitor, worked for six years 
to bring about the rehabilitation of Joan 
and succeeded in procuring the proclama- 
tion of her innocence and the institution of 
a procession in expiation for the crime of 
her death. This was the beginning of the 
honors prepared by the Church for this 
virgin, whose history is quite unique in its 
combination of simplicity and wisdom, sweet- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 213 

tless and valor, patriotism and faith, and in 
the marvellous gifts of grace and of nature 
bestowed upon her. The most important 
even in her career was the deliverance of 
Orleans (May 8; 1429). Among her heroic 
virtues those of faith, magnanimity, forgive- 
ness of her enemies, virginal modesty and 
devotion to Mary shine out with special 
brightness (1431). 

Prayer — ^Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! (Last words 
of Bl. Joan). 

Practice — Prompt and generous fidelity to 
the voice of grace. 



MAY 9. 

St. Gregory of Nazianziis, B., D. 

St. Gregory, whilst studying science at the 
University of Athens, became united in the 
bonds of friendship with St. Basil, whom he 
resembled in character and temperament as 
well as in virtue. They soon became of one 
heart and of one soul in a friendship, which, 
far from interfering with divine love, helped 
them in a wonderful way to correct their 
faults and graw in perfection. St. Gregory 
had a marvellous sfift of discernment and 



214 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

on seeing Julian, afterwards named the 
Apostate, he said: "The empire nourishes a 
monster in its bosom." After having long 
labored for the glory of God as Patriarch of 
Constantinople, the saintly bishop resigned 
his ofiftce to silence certain jealous tongues. 
''Dear children," he said in his farewell dis- 
course, ''hold fast the gift of faith and re- 
member the stones which have been throv/n 
at me because I strove to plant the true 
faith in your hearts." He spent his last 
years in the monastic life, sacred poetry be- 
ing his only recreation. He possessed the 
gift of tears and wept over all the sins of 
the tongue which he had committed. He 
is called "the Theologian" by the Eastern 
Church on account of his profound knowl- 
edge of that science. Caesarius, his brother, 
and Gorgona, his sister, have both been 
raised to the honors of sanctity (389). 

Prayer — O my God, pour out the gift of 
wisdom on the apostles and pastors of the 
Church. 

Practice — Avoid familiarity with many 
persons, but choose some pious friend with 
the approval of your confessor and encour- 
age each other in the love and service 
of God. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 21^ 

MAY 10. 

St. Antoninus, Archbishop ol Florence, 

C, O. P. 

St. Antoninus was at first refused the 
habit of the Order on account of his deli- 
cate health, but at last he obtained it by his 
entreaties and he showed during his whole 
life what can be done by a vigorous soul 
in a fragile body. After having caused 
regular observance to flourish anew in the 
celebrated congregation of St. Mark, 
founded by Savonarola, he was obliged in 
obedience to the Pope to accept the Arch- 
bishopric of Florence, where he maintained 
the noble princess of an Altranasuis or an 
Ambrose against the encroachments of the 
magistrates. He was a great lover of 
poverty and used to go and study by the 
sanctuary lamp in order to economize for 
the benefit of the poor. His episcopal 
palace received the beautiful name of the 
"Hostel of the poor." His prudence and 
penetration into the practical difficulties of 
the Christian life gained for him the sur- 
name of "Antoninus the Counsellor." His 
love for the religious life was so great that 
he kept in his pocket the key of the cell 
which he had formerly occupied in his 



216 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

monastery, in token of affection and hope 
of returning thither. He generously as- 
sisted with alms some poor needle women 
on whose house he had seen angels, but 
one day he saw there a demon, for better 
circumstances had led these young women 
into idleness and love of dress. The canon- 
ical process for declaring him a doctor of 
the Church has already begun (1459). 

Prayer — My God give me the spirit of 
counsel in my work. 

Practice — ^Meditate on the words of St. 
Antoninus at the hour of death. "To serve 
God is to reign." 



MAY 11. 

Ven. Mens. Desgenettes, T., O. P. 

At the age of twelve, on hearing some 
revolutionaries threatening the Church of 
France with persecution, far from showing 
fear or weakness, he generously resolved to 
confess the faith when occasion should arise. 
The priests who had taken the iniquitous 
oath of adherence to the Civil Constitution 
of the Clergy inspired him with such horror, 
that in passing them he instinctively made 
the sign of the Cross, as if to guard himself 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 217 

from evil. During the height of the Reign 
of Terror he profited by his position as a 
layman, though only twenty years of age, 
to organize gatherings, nominally of a social 
character, where, by means of reading and 
pious hymns those who attended them were 
strengthened in the faith. Having become 
a priest and cure of Our Lady of Victories, 
(in Paris) one Saturday when Mons. Des- 
genettes was lamenting the small fruit of 
his labors and considering how he might 
increase it, he heard a voice saying to him 
twice: "Consecrate your parish to the most 
holy and immaculate Heart of Mary." This 
he did by founding the Archconfraternity of 
Our Lady of Victories, so celebrated and 
so useful to souls all over the world. He 
spent much time in drawing together w^ith 
tact and patience men of the world who 
were in danger of being led away by false 
ideas, and several of these he induced to 
enter the Order of St. Dominic. He him- 
self entered it as a Tertiary and at his death 
was clothed and buried in the white habit 
(1860). 

Prayer — O Mary, refuge of sinners and 
consellor of the afflicted, pray for us. 

Practice — Consecrate to Mary your coun- 
try, your house, your relations and all you 
have to live with or to deal with. 



218 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

MAY 12. 

Bl. Jane, Infanta of Portugal, V., O. P. 

Bl. Jane was so inflamed with love of God 
and zeal for her own perfection that she de- 
spised all the pleasures of the court, bore 
with calmness and constancy the persecu- 
tions of her relatives and rejected all her 
princely suitors, including the son of Louis 
IX of France, in order to consecrate her- 
self to the service of God in the Third Or- 
der. Her great delight was to teach the 
catechism to prisoners, and her servants 
were ordered to seek twice every day for 
those poor persons who were ashamed to 
own their poverty. The manifestation of 
her interior life to her director seemed to 
her so important that she noted down each 
day her actions and dispositions in order the 
better to make it. It is said that her great 
horror of sin caused her martyrdom, for 
she was poisoned by a wicked woman whom 
she had ordered to be driven away from 
Aveiro (the town in which B. lane had be- 
come a Dominican) after having failed by 
gentle means to reclaim her. Her great de- 
votion was to the Passion of Our Lord, of 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 219 

which she could not hear without weeping. 
At the end of so pure a life she exclaimed 
when dying: "Lord, turn Thy face away 
from my sins" (1490). 

Prayer — O God, enlighten those parents 
who oppose the religious vocation of their 
children. 

Practice — Seek out those who are, ashamed 
of their poverty, either by yourself or by 
some trustworthy person. 



MAY 13. 

B. Albert of Bergamo, C, O. P. 

God, Who is pleased to show that sanc- 
tity can flourish in every state of life, willed 
that BL Albert should live in the world as a 
farmer, while observing the rule of the 
Third Order. The candor and simplicity 
of his nature shone out brightly and the 
contemplation of natural beauty in the sky, 
the mountains, the birds and the flowers 
raised his soul continually towards the Au- 
thor of all perfection. He had much to suf- 
fer from his relations, even to being vio- 



220 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

lently turned out of the farm which he had 
cultivated so well. But he had learnt always 
to possess his soul in peace and he profited 
by his exfle the better to devote himself to 
the service of the poor and to making 
pilgrimages to holy places. B. Albert went 
nine times to Rome, eight times to Com- 
postella in Spain and once to Jerusalem; 
he sanctified the long hours of travel by 
silence and prayer. The earth in which they 
tried to bury him resisted the spade of the 
grave-digger, from which it was understood 
that, on account of his sanctity, God, Who 
loves pure and simple souls, desired that he 
should be buried in the choir of the church 
(1270). 

Prayer — O my God, teach me to behold 
in the works of nature the image of Thy per- 
fections, avove all of Thy providence and 
Thy beauty. 

Practice — Pray for Tertiaries living in the 
world and make known, when you have the 
opportunity, the advantages of the Third 
Order. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 221 

MAY 14. 

Bl. Egidius or Giles, C, O. P. 

Bl. Giles, whose immoderate desire for 
knowledge and the fame it procures led him 
from Portugal to Paris in order to perfect 
himself in the art of medicine, there fell 
into a disorderly life, gave himself up to the 
practice of magic and even signed a contract 
with the evil one. But by a miraculous 
stroke of interior grace, God in His infinite 
mercy converted him and he entered the 
Order of St. Dominic. Here he deplored 
his sinful wanderings day and night, morti- 
fied his body and welcomed humiliations. 
His fervor was rewarded by heavenly con- 
solations and one day at the foot of Mary's 
altar he found the detestable contract he 
had made with the devil, wrested from the 
evil one by force. The name of Jesus alone 
filled his soul with ineffable sweetness. Far 
from bringing forward medical precautions 
and the maxims of his former life to escape 
the austerities of the monastic state, he 
was most faithful to these practices, and in 
visiting the sick he recommended them as 
the best of remedies to abstain from all 
dwelling on themselves, and to cultivate a 
sweet confidence in God alone. He took 



222 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

pleasure in tidying the cells of the novices 
whilst they were at their classes, and on 
returning they found all in perfect order 
as if by a miracle. He lived to be more 
that eighty years old, and died lying on a 
haircloth which he had himself spread, in 
order to die as a penitent (1260). 

Prayer — *'0 Lord, forgive the ignorance 
of Christians; if they knew what sin was, 
they would never commit it'* (B. H. Suso). 

Examen. — Do you not speak bitterly of 
sinners? Do you try to bring them back to 
God? Do you pray for this intention? 



MAY 15. 

Conversion of St. Augustine. 

Grace and nature struggled in deadly con- 
flict in the soul of Augustine. The life of 
St. Antony, which he had read and which 
appeared to him sublime by its very sim- 
plicity, urged him towards the right way. 
"What," he exclaimed, "the ignorant take 
Heaven by storm and we with our heartless 
wisdom are still the slaves of flesh and 
blood!" But it cost him dearly to break 
with the past. "I wept," he tells us later 
on, "tied, not by an iron chain but by my 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 223 

will harder than iron." One day when, ex- 
hausted by these combats he was praying in 
a garden, he heard a voice singing: "Take 
and read. Take and read." Then he opened 
the Epistles of St. Paul, and the passage 
which first met his eyes corresponded so 
well with his state of mind that all hesita- 
tion ceased and he was baptized by St. Am- 
brose. Although his conversion had been 
so miraculous, he did not think himself dis- 
pensed on that account from taking the or- 
dinary means to ensure perseverance, so he 
retired into the country far from all dan- 
gerous occasions and there, in the company 
of a few friends, he devoted himself to 
study, prayer, fasting and instructing the 
ignorant. How much good has been done 
and will be done through all time by the 
book of his "Confessions" (387). 

Prayer — "Too late have I loved Thee, O 
Beauty ever ancient and yet ever new" (St. 
Augustine). 

Practice — Meditate on these thoughts of 
St. Thomas. "Every movement towards 
God may be called conversion; there is, 
then, a threefold conversion: (1) By the 
operation of God which prepares the soul 
to give up sin; (2) by habitual grace which 
enables it to gather up merits for final 



224 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

beatitude; (3) by perfect love, the fruit of 
grace consummated, by which the creature 
already possesses God." To which of these 
three conversions have you attained? 



MAY 16. 

St. Simon Stock, Carmelite. 

St. Simon Stock is one of the glories of 
Catholic England. At an age when m.ost 
children are only beginning to show a 
glimmer of intelligence, his virtue was so 
remarkable that he was admitted to the 
sacraments, but this privilege brought on 
him the jealousy of his brother, who attrib- 
uted his fervor to singularity, illusion and 
hypocris}^ and even so far forgot himself as 
to strike him. He was led by providential 
circumstances to join the Carmelite Order. 
These religious had hitherto had their prin- 
cipal residence in Palestine on Mt. Carmel, 
that spot so peaceful, so beautiful and suit- 
able for contemplation; they continued 
there the life of those ancient ascetics, who, 
since the time of Elias, had inhabited that 
holy mountain, and who had been so eager 
later on to venerate Mary, then still living. 
St. Simon was the instrument employed by 
God to bring the Carmelites into the West 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 225 

of Europe, where he opened for them a 
larger and surer field for the diffusion of 
the spirit of Christianity. At eighty years 
of age, still indefatigable, he founded mon- 
asteries in England, Ireland, Scotland, in 
Holland and in France, and he ended his 
long course of labors at Bordeaux, at the 
age of ninety, whilst pronouncing the last 
words of the "Hail Mary." The Blessed 
Virgin showed by her choice of St. Simon 
Stock to propagate in the world the scapu- 
lar of Mt. Carmel, how much she loved this 
good and faithful servant. 

Prayer — O Blesed Mary, make my heart 
like the Mountain of Carmel. 

Practice — Pray for the increase of relig- 
ious institutes in England. 



MAY 17. 

Bl. Andrew Abellon, C, O. P. 

Bl. Andrew was born at St. Maximin, 
where he entered among the Friars Preach- 
ers and they, appreciating his virtues, chose 
him as prior. The building of the beautiful 
cloister, still standing in spite of revolutions, 
is due to his care. But what is still better 
he promoted the reestablishment of relig 

15 



226 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

ious observance, here and in other convents 
of the South under the direction of B. Bar- 
tholomew Texier, General of the Order and 
Provencial like himself. The Sainte Baume 
obtained by his efforts and through the 
reputation of his sanctity, certain privileges 
from the Queen Yolande. The convent of 
the Dominicans at Marseilles had also the 
benefit of his presence and example. But he 
was above all the beloved apostle of the 
town of Aix, where his death caused gen- 
eral mourning. From that time his remains, 
honored with a place in the sanctuary of the 
Church of the Magdalen on the Gospel side, 
became the object of public veneration, 
which was increased by numerous miracles 
and an altar was erected there in his honor. 
B. Andrew is invoked against fevers which 
have often been cured by the dust from his 
tomb. This holy religious loved the fine 
arts and when worn out by the labors of the 
apostolate, he consoled himself in his trials 
by painting the altars, a work which en- 
dears his memory to Christian artists (1450). 

Prayer — Bl. Abellon, obtain a blessing for 
Provence, where you did so much good, and 
especially for pilgrims to the Sainte Baurne. 

Practice — Employ your spare time and 
your means willingly in the advancement of 
churches, especially the holy altars. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 227 

MAY 18. 

Bl. Joseph Canh, M., T., O. P. 

Joseph Canh, an Annamite Tertiary, exer- 
cised the profession of medicine with an 
ability and devotedness which endeared him 
to the whole population, both Christian and 
pagan. Under cover of his profession he 
was able to carry messages from the mis- 
sionaries to the faithful and from these to 
the missionaries and also to baptise many 
heathen children at the point of death. He 
was able also to dispel prejudices against 
Christianity in many families, but by this 
he gained a notoriety which caused his 
arrest. When the judge, finding how useless 
were all his questionings and scourgirigs, 
tried by force to make him trample on the 
Cross, Bl. Joseph, in spite of his great age, 
drew his feet so far back that he remained 
hanging on the arms of his guards. After 
being condemned to death, he put on the 
white habit of a Tertiary and full of zeal to 
the end, while waiting to start for the scene 
of his execution, he spoke to the pagans for 
a whole hour on the beauty of the Christian 
faith. On the way he recited the Litany of 
the Saints. The crowd pressed round him, 
anxious to have a close view of him, and 
full of admiration at his courage, his recol- 



228 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

lected manner and his smiling countenance, 
but the executioners treated the people with 
brutality, for which Bl. Joseph reproached 
them. Having arrived at the place of mar- 
tyrdom, he knelt down, the Cross in his 
hands, and bowed his head, which fell at 
the first stroke of the sword. The cate- 
chists» w^ho carried away his body, came to 
a swollen torrent which it was impossible 
to cross, but scarcely had they invoked him, 
whose precious remains they carried, than 
they saw the waters abate, and the re- 
mainder of their way made easy (1861). 

Prayer — O Lord, grant me to be, by my 
prayers, my actions and my words, the 
healer of sick and weakly souls. 

Practice — Kiss the Cross while ofifering 
your life to God. 



MAY 19. 

St. Peter Celestine, Pope. 

The spirit of evil, knowing well what this 
servant of God was called to do for the 
Church, opposed him in every possible way 
— in his studies, his desires after perfection, 
his love of solitude and also in his labors 
for the foundation of the Order of Celes- 
tines. These he placed under the rule of 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 220 

St. Benedict, and the special work of this 
Order was, by reviving primitive observ- 
ance to counteract the general relaxation 
of the times. But Celestine, strong in the 
strength of God, never wavered. He was 
guided by the counsels of several Domin- 
icans, who prepared the way for his elec- 
tion to the Papacy. At the age of seventy- 
two he was forced reluctantly to accept this 
charge, which, however, he very soon re- 
signed, not in order to escape its burdens, 
but from a profound conviction that he was 
not fitted for the pomp and grandeur of the 
Pontifical court, or for the management of 
the nianj^ affairs which such a charge in- 
volved. He was called to a life of com- 
plete solitude and God made known to 
him that this attraction was really the re- 
sult of divine grace and justified his deci- 
sion by numerous miracles, worked both be- 
fore and after his death (1296). Among his 
writings are a "Book of Confessions" and a 
"Treatise on the Purification of the Con- 
science by Confession." He expired while 
pronouncing these words of the Psalmist: 
"Let all spirits praise the Lord" (1296). 

Prayer — "O most high Wisdom, I am hap- 
pier in listening to Thine admirable lessons 
than if I possessed the empire of the whole 
world" (B. H. Suso). 



230 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Practice — If you undertake any important 
work for God, except that the devil will raise 
obstacles. But fear him not, fear rather 
your own want of energy and your weak 
faith. 



MAY 20. 

Bl. Columba of Rieti, V., O. P. 

Bl. Columba was born on the feast of the 
Purification and was named Angelo. But, 
as during the ceremony of her baptism a 
dove was seen to alight on her head, she 
was usually called Columba and by this 
name she is best known and it truly ex- 
presses the purity of her life. At the age 
of ten she consecrated herself to God by a 
vow of virginity and kept it in spite of the 
most terrible assaults of the demon, by 
applying herself continually to prayer and 
penance. Her bed consisted of a plank or 
a heap of thorns. She founded a monastery 
of the Order at Perugia which she dedicated 
to St. Catherine of Sienna. It was intended 
to carry on there the education of young 
girls of noble family, because Bl. Columba 
understood well that these, being once raised 
above their little vanities and luxuries and 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 231 

imbued with a truly Christian spirit, would 
exercise a wide and happy influence amidst 
their social surroundings. Bl. Columba was 
see to fall into an ecstasy through respect 
on merely touching the border of the vest- 
ment of Pope Alexander VI, although at 
another time she had dared to administer 
to him such a severe but well-merited re- 
buke that he had been unable to eat any- 
thing for a whole day. Bl. Columba died 
saying: "Lord my sweet Lord, receive 
me." (1501). 

Prayer — Bl. Columba, obtain for me the 
gift of simplicity. 

Practice — Thank God for the good edu- 
cation you have received, a benefit you will 
not be able entirely to appreciate till the 
judgment day. 



3IAY 21. 

St. Bernardine of Siena. 

St. Bernardine possessed a singular devo- 
tion to Mary. Through her protection he 
preserved, in spite of his handsome figure 
and graceful manners, so perfect a chastity 
that no one dared to say before him one 



232 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

word of doubtful propriety. "Silence," wild 
young men would say to one another "Here 
comes Bernardine." He entered the Order 
of St. Francis; his feeble and husky voice 
was unsuitable for preaching, but in answer 
to prayer this obstacle was removed. St. 
Bernardine was most active in reconciling 
those who were at variance and was es- 
pecially the apostle of the holy name of 
Jesus, which he bore engraved on his heart. 
He also gave the title of St. Mary of Jesus 
to several convents which he founded in 
order to propagate strict observance, chiefly 
in the matter of poverty. St. Vincent 
Ferrer, preaching at Alexandria, said pub- 
licly of him: "There is one in this audience 
who will be a shining light in the Order 
of St. Francis in Italy and he will be canon- 
ised before me." His works are remarkable 
for doctrine and for the unction of piety. 
Their chief subjects are prayer, the love of 
God, the imitation of the life of Jesus Christ 
and meditation on the end of all things 
(1444). 

Prayer — O Jesus be Thou my Hope! 

Practice — If improper conversations are 
held in your presence, show by your manner 
how much you are displeased and make an 
act of reparation to Our Lord in your heart. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 233 

MAY 22. 

St. Servatius, B. 

St. Servatius was Bishop of Tongres in 
Belguim, where he was famous for his 
learning and sanctity and defended the true 
Faith as set forth by the Council of Nicia 
against the Arians especially at the Councils 
of Cologne, of Sardica and of Rimini. His 
devotion tp the truth did not in any way 
diminish his love of his country and he 
constantly besought God to deliver it from 
the barbarians, whose incursions became 
more and more threatening. But St. Peter 
appeared to him and told him that God, 
Who was offended, would permit the Huns 
to invade Gaul, which invasion came to pass, 
and for one hundred years Tongres suffered 
from the effects of this disaster till the 
time of the conversion of Clovis. St. Serva- 
tius died in 384. It was on the day of his 
feast that Charles Martel won his celebrated 
victory over the Sarscens at Portiers. The 
Order of Friars Preachers honors St. Serva- 
tius as one of its benefactors, because, 
through a miraculous dream, he preserved 
the Fathers assembled for a General Chapter 
at Cologne from being massacred, by warn- 



234 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

ing them to fly from the ambushes of Souths 
of Bavaria, their sworn enemy, who desired 
to put them all to death and through them 
to strike a blow at the whole Order. They 
afterwards reassembled at Maestricht (384). 

Prayer — My God, I thank Thee for all the 
graces granted to the Order of St. Dominic 
and I earnestly beg the continuance of Thy 
divine protection, and that good fruit may 
result from the holding of General Chapters. 

Practice — Pray that the plotting* of secret 
societies may be brought to naught. 



MAY 23. 

Bl. Grignon de Montfort, T., O. P., 
Apostle of the Rosary. 

Bl. Grignon was especially the missioner 
of the country districts. His grave and 
simple eloquence, his constant activity and 
his austere life rendered him very well 
suited for this vocation. He had a great 
love of poverty, and the exercise of this 
virtue always gives the apostle a great 
moral authority over the people; the house 
in which he lodged he called "the House of 
Providence," in order to show that he lived 



t 

SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 235 

not according to his own choice or to seek 
his own comforts, but that he desired to 
live without solicitude and on alms. In the 
midst of the most searching trials he only 
repeated: "God wills it." During his mis- 
sions he employed with great success as a 
means of softening souls, the singing of 
beautiful hymns which he had himself com- 
posed; and in the recitation of the Rosary 
he saw an excellent means of imparting 
solid religious instruction which was at the 
same time pleasant and agreeable. The 
crosses which he erected served to per- 
petuate the fruits of the mission in each 
district. His devotion to the Cross and 
Passion was so great that he often began 
his letters with these words, "A thousand 
crosses for a blessing." Hi^ devotion to 
St. Dominic as institutor of the Rosary, 
decided him to enter the Third Order. Bl. 
Grignon is the founder of the Congrega- 
tion of the Fathers of the Society of Mary, 
and also of the Sisters of Wisdom (1716). 

Prayer — My God, give to preachers a love 
for the country missions. 

Practice — Reverently salute the Crosses 
you pass by the way, pray for those who 
erect them and ask God to pardon those 
who treat them with irreverence. 



236 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

MAY 24. 

Our Lady, Help of Christians. 

Pope Pius VII, so greatly tried by the 
violence and frauds of the Revolution, insti- 
tuted this feast in gratitude for the loving 
protection of Mary accorded to the Holy 
See, to the Church and to all Christian 
people. When troubles increase, our con- 
fidence must increase also. Let us then 
redouble our confidence in Mary in these 
last days through which we are passing, 
and let us address to her this petition of a 
contemporary author: "O Mary, help of 
Christians, thou art the hope of our souls. 
These souls are threatened by the same 
enemy who attacks human society. In his 
infernal rage, he pursues the image of thy 
Divine Son, in man and in humanity. Come 
to the help of thy children, snatch them 
from the murderous jaws of the serpent." 
Countless sanctuaries have been erected to 
Mary both in ancient and modern times 
under a title similar to that of our Lady 
Help of Christians, for example, our Lady 
of Good Succor, our Lady of Hope, our 
Lady of Protection, our Lady of Good 
Counsel etc. There are also pious institutes 
dedicated to our Lady Help of Christians. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 237 

Prayer — "O Mary obtain for me that I 
may arrive at the goal of salvation and 
eternal gladness" (St. Thomas Aquinas). 

Practice — Recite the litany of the Blessed 
Virgin for those who have lost their faith, 
and say with great fervor: "Refuge of 
sinners, Consoler of the afflicted, help of 
Christians, pray for us." 



MAY 25. 

Translation of the Relics of Our Holy 
Father St. Dominic. 

The body of St. Dominic had remained in 
its lowly grave for twelve years, when it 
was suggested that it should have a better 
place of burial. Bl. Jordan of Caxony as- 
sisted at this translation with the Archbishop 
and the nobility of Bologna. The holy body, 
when brought out of its resting place, ex- 
haled a delicious perfume which filled the 
air and clung to the hands, the implements, 
etc. for several days. It resembled no 
earthly odor and filled the hearts of those 
who stood by with such sweet consolation, 
that they could not restrain their tears of 
joy. This was the sign and reward of that 
true virginity which the holy Patriarch had 



238 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

preserved throughout his life, guarding his 
eyes, mortifying all his senses, avoiding 
familiarity with seculars, and inspiring many 
perons with a love of chastity. How great 
must have been the emotion of B. Jordan, 
when taking in his hands the venerable head 
of the Saint which had been filled with 
such sublime thoughts about God and souls, 
it was kissed by all present, among whom 
were more than three hundred Friars of the 
Order (1233). 

Prayer — St. Dominic, rose of patience, 
ivory of chastity, pray for us. 

Practice — Meditate on those words of St. 
Dominic which he has left as a testament 
to us. "By purity of life and the odor 
of a good name, you will work wonders 
among the people." 



MAY 26. 

St. Philip Neri, C. 

The ardor of St. Philip's love for God 
was so great that it caused his heart to 
beat so violently that the ribs were visibly 
displaced on one side. His was a joyous 
love. He • often repeated to others this 
maxim: "Scruples and melancholy, depart 
from my dwelling." But he desired that this 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 230 

holy gaiety should be the result of con- 
fidence in God and forgetfulness of self, and 
for this reason he mortified self-love in the 
persons whom he directed in the most try- 
ing and ingenious manner. He had a partic- 
ular affection for the Friars Preachers, be- 
cause he had noticed when among the Do- 
minicans of St. Mark's, Florence, in his 
youth, that this cheerfulness of soul was 
one of their chief characteristics. He at- 
tended the Divine Office with his penitents, 
even that of the night, took the novices of 
the Minerva out for walks, and often sent 
elect souls, aspirants after his own heart, 
to fill their ranks. St. Pius V honored him 
with his confidence, but could never induce 
him to accept the dignity of Cardinal. St. 
Philip founded the Congregation of the 
Oratory, the aim of which is the practice of 
common life for the clergy and the sanctifi- 
cation of the people by the work of preach- 
ing and hearing confessions. He also did 
much to encourage the devotion of the 
Forty Hours in honor of the Blessed Sac- 
rament (1595). 

Prayer — ^To try to pray without mortifi- 
cation, is like trying to fly without wings. 

—St. Philip Neri. 

Examen — Do riot your troubles and sad- 
ness spring from self-love? 



240 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

MAY 27. 

BB. Peter Sanz, Francis Serrano, Joachim 

Royo, John Alcober and Francis 

Diaz, MM. O. P. 

These holy martyrs consecrated them- 
selves to God in the Order of St. Dominic 
in Spain whilst quite young. Their ardent 
aspirations were not satisfied by the con- 
siderable opportunities of doing good which 
are afforded to a Friar Preacher in a Chris- 
tian country; they obtained leave to go to 
China to seek for souls, and also, if God 
would grant them such a grace, the palm 
of martyrdom. In Fo Kien while they were 
doing wonders in the way of conversions, 
a furious persecution arose. Two Tertiary 
Sisters, Teresa Crun, prioress and the widow 
Maria Hy, suffered perfect torments rather 
than disclose the dwelling place of the Fath- 
ers. At last however it was discovered, and 
the first of the five, Bl. Peter Sanz, Vicar 
Apostolic and Bishop of Manricastro, was 
beheaded (1747). BL Sarvano and his com- 
panions were branded on the left cheek with 
the words ''Chan Fan," that is, "condemned 
to be beheaded.'* "Never in our lives," he 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 241 

wrote in the name of all, "have we been so 
happy. We are branded as the slaves of 
Jesus Christ, our heads are His, He can 
take them at His good pleasure." He was 
suffocated in prison by the jailers as was 
also Bl. Royo; BB. Alcober and Diaz were 
strangled (1748). 

Prayer — O my God, how little do I love 
Thee! grant that my love may grow and 
outstrip my sufferings. 

Practice — Read the 12th chapter of Boot 
II of the Imitation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 



MAY 38. 
Bl. Maria Bartoloniea. 

Whilst still very young, Bl. Maria ex- 
horted her dying mother to make a good 
death, and after having lost her, she filled 
her place in governing the house with a 
prudence beyond her years. The very sug- 
gestion of marriage made her tremble all 
over. In order to preserve her from it, 
God visited her for forty-five- years with 
strange illnesses, to which she added many 

16 



242 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

voluntary penances, preserving always a 
joyful heart. "Why are you sad?*' she 
would say to melancholy persons, "fulfill all 
your duties well, and Jesus, the Supreme 
Joy, will come and dwell in your heart" 
To those who visited her she would say: 
"Go to confession often, after having chosen 
a confessor who will teach you to pray and 
to be devout to Mary." Although her di- 
rector had given her leave for all the good 
works for which she felt inspired, she would 
not avail herself of so wide a permission 
and continued to give him an account of alL 
She received Extreme Unction eight times 
in the course of her various illnesses. Holy 
Mass was said in her room in order that 
she might communicate more easily. She 
died at Florence, whilst the Passion was 
being read to her (1577). St. Mary Mag- 
dalen de Pazzi was cured at her tomb and 
saw Bl. Maria Bartolomea among the 
Blessed, equal to St. Catherine of Siena. 

Prayer — O Jesus, make me to love hidden 
sufferings. 

Practice — Avoid negligence and hurry in 
your domestic duties. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 243 

MAY 29. 

BB. William Arnaldi and Companions, 
MM. of Avignonnet, O. P. 

Bl. William with two other Friars, Ray- 
mond de Rochefort and Garcias d'Aux, the 
latter a lay brother, headed a band of twelve 
martyrs who, in 1242, shed glory on the 
Convent of Toulouse. He also filled with 
great courage the Office of Inquisitor of the 
Faith, by order of Gregory IX, so that the 
Albigensian heretics resolved to destroy him 
at all hazards as their most formidable foe. 
Although warned of the dangers which 
threatened him, his ardor was by no means 
diminished and he was murdered at Avig- 
uonnet by some heretics who had perfidi- 
ously offered him hospitality. On being 
struck down, Bl. William entoned the Te 
Deum. His companions took up the chant, 
while dragging themselves to the altar of 
Mary and dying one after another in the 
nave of the church. Among them were 
some Franciscans and Benedictines and sev- 
eral other priests. Not content with pierc- 
ing Bl. William with wounds, the wretches 
tore out his tongue, as if in revenge for 
his having preached so successfully against 
their monstrous errors (1242). Paul III in 



244 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

a Bull speaks of these BB. martyrs, who 
worked several miracles. Sister Blanche, a 
religious of the monastery of Pronille, was 
cured of a diseased jaw by applying a relic 
of Bl. William. 

Prayer — My God pardon the obstinacy of 

heretics. 

Practice — Say the Te Deum, when con- 
tradictions befall you. 



MAY 30. 

Ven. Fr. Peter of Aragou. 

This truly apostolic man devoted himself 
entirely to the country missions as being the 
most laborious for the missioner, the most 
fruitful for souls and the most consoling for 
the apostle. Little children were the ob- 
jects of his special care and love. He made 
friends with them by distributing to them 
little delicacies and then profited by the 
opportunity to give them, in a pleasant way, 
some teaching on the great truths of re- 
ligion and to plant in their souls, so dear to 
God, the desire and love of virtue and 
courage to practice it. Thus, when he ap- 
peared in any district, all the children ran 
to meet him and accompanied him to the 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 245 

church, singing hymns. Fr. Peter excelled 
in composing prayers exactly suited to the 
needs of those who came to him, and these 
prayers sometimes were answered by mira- 
cles. Tried by great sorrows towards the 
end of his life, he kept himself peacefully 
united with Jesus on the Cross and repeated 
with Job: "If I have received good things 
at the hand of God shall I not also receive 
evil" (About 1500). 

Prayer — O my God, preserve me from 
causing scandal to even one of Thy little 
ones. 

Practice — At the close of this beautiful 
month of Mary see how you can end it 
joyfully and holily and especially take care 
to gain all the indulgences possible. 



MAY 31. 

Bl. James Salomon, C, O. P. 

Bl. James was instructed in piety and 
taught the ceremonies and chant by a 
Cisterican, and, having heard that the Choral 
Office was held in high esteem among the 
Friars Preachers, he came to ask for the 
habit in their convent at Venice. The mar- 
tyr ology read with faith, furnished him with 



246 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

many subjects for prayer, and not content 
with celebrating the various feasts in the 
Choir, he also kept them after a manner 
of his own in his cell. After Matins he 
used to hear the confessions of the religious 
who came to him, especially some of the 
younger Friars who were zealous for pro- 
gress and eager to have his counsel. His 
gift of contemplation was so high and so 
continual that he often repeated the words 
of St. Jerome: "Happy the tongue which 
can only speak of God." But he carefully 
hid under a veil of humility the celestial 
favors he received. The Rosary was his 
favorite prayer; once during the cold of 
November, a beautiful rose grew up in his 
path, which he carried to the Friars, to in- 
crease their fervor in praising Mary, of 
whom it was a sweet and beautiful symbol. 
He foretold the day of his death and even 
after having received the last Sacraments, 
he continued to chant in the Choir with the 
others till his last breath. He died at the 
age of 83, having spent sixty-six years in 
religion (1314). 

Prayer — O Blessed Mary, Mystic Rose, 
leave in my heart at the end of this month 
the sweet odor of thy virtues. 

Practice — Recite the glorious mysteries of 
the Rosary before the altar of Mary. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 247 

JUNE 1. 

Bl. Alphonsus Navarette and His Com- 
panions, MM., O. P. 

Bl. Alphonsus distinguished himself in Ja- 
pan by such holy audacity in face of the 
pagans that some writers think that he 
went beyond the bounds of the prudence 
recommended in the Gospel. But in all this 
he was guided by the Holy Spirit. He re- 
proached the king severely for his cruelty 
and apostasy, and seeing the Crosses and 
holy images being burnt by the persecutors, 
he dragged out of the fire as many things 
as he could seize hold of. At that time 
numbers of Christians were wavering in 
their faith, and to revive their courage by 
an act of boldness, he suddenly appeared in 
public, clothed in his religious habit. This 
action of course meant certain death, but 
what matter, so long as the faithful took 
fresh courage? To this strength of char- 
acter was united deep tenderness. He loved 
to collect the foundling children and hand 
them over to the care of the faithful, and in 
this he was the precursor of the work of 
the "Sainte Enfance." There perished in 
this same persecution more than one hun- 
dred and ten martyrs belonging to the Or- 



248 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

der of St. Dominic, priests, lay brothers, 
tertiaries and members of the Rosary Con- 
fraternity. Among them were some mem- 
bers of he royal family, soldiers, and pious 
women with their children, some only three 
or four years of age (1617). After the acts 
of the early Christian martyrs, there is 
nothing more beautiful than the story of 
these Japanese martyrs of the seventeenth 
century. 

Prayer — "My Jesus, Thou hast conquered 
death by death, in becoming obedient even 
unto death" (St. Catherine of Sienna). 

Practice — Kiss your crucifix in reparation 
for outrages committed against Jesus on 
the Cross. 



JUNE 2. 

Bl. Sadoc and Companions, MM., O. P. 

Bl. Sadoc was chosen by St. Dominic him- 
self at the General Chapter of Bologna 
(1221) to evangelize the vast regions of the 
north, in company with Bl. Paul of Hungary, 
a celebrated professor of canon law at Bo- 
logna, who afterward fell a victim to the 
MIongols. Bl. Sadoc set to work at once, 
preaching with ardor, praying with fervor. 
He was singing the Office of Matins with 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 249 

his religious in the Convent of Sandomir, 
when the Friar who was reading the mar- 
tyrology saw in the book these words writ- 
ten in letters of gold; "At Sandomir, the 
martyrdom of forty-nine Friars Preachers." 
Understanding this as a warning from 
Heaven, the religious prepared themselves 
for death in the early morning by confession 
and Holy Communion, and that same eve- 
ning the Tartars, breaking into the mon- 
astery, massacred them all during the sing- 
ing of the "Salve Regina." From that time 
our Order has continued the touching cus- 
tom of singing the "Salve Regina" in a sub- 
dued voice beside each religious when dying. 
One novice, hiding through fear in the bel- 
fry, when he heard the Friars singing this 
beautiful antiphon with joy and fervor, was 
seized with remorse, felt his courage re- 
newed, and, coming down, took his place to 
shed his blood with the rest (1250). 

Prayer — O Blessed Virgin Mary, grant 
that I may hear the "Salve Regina" sung 
at my death-bed, that I may join in it in 
spirit and find there help to die with resig- 
nation, confidence and joy. 

Practice — Make your preparation for 
death every evening, but especially on the 
first Friday of the month, or at your 
monthly retreat. 



250 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JUNE 3. 

Bl. Dominic of Valerica, C, O. P. 

In spite of all that has been taught and 
practiced by our Divine Master, the part 
played by poverty in the Christian life re- 
mains a mystery understood by very few. 
Most people look upon it as a trial, per- 
haps inevitable, but always hard; only here 
and there a small number of persons are 
sufficiently enlightened to discover in it a 
beauty and dignity, a blessing and a means 
of sanctity. Amongst this number was Fr. 
Dominic, the Apostle of Bazas. He loved 
poverty so much that he only cared to con- 
verse with the poor, of whom he took the 
greatest care, both in their temporal and 
spiritual needs. In this he resembled Ven. 
Marie Lopez, a lay Sister, who gave to the 
poor the best part of her dinner, with per- 
mission, because obedience should regulate 
both poverty and charity. Bl. Fr. Dominic, 
having fallen ill, faithful to his old attraction, 
would only be nursed in the public hospital, 
and it was there that he died, surrounded 
by the sick poor whom he revered as princes 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 251 

and cherished like brothers (1260). Several 
sick persons have been cured by kissing the 
earth of his grave. 

Prayer — O my Jesus, it is Thou Whom I 
recognize and desire to serve in the person 
of my neighbor! What a wonderful inven- 
tion of love, what ravishing goodness thus 
to put Thyself at my door every hour of 
the day! 

Practice — Visit the sick in some neigh- 
boring hospital or, if this be impossible, de- 
prive yourself of something for the benefit 
of the sick or poor. 



JUNE 4. 

Ven. Fr. Brocard of Strasburg, C, O, P. 

While this servant of God was pursuing 
his studies in theology in Paris, Bl. Reginald 
appeared there like another Elias, rousing 
up by his preaching and the grand lesson 
of his example, the ancient city which had 
formerly ^applauded him as a professor of 
canon law. Divine grace made use of him 
to lead our student to his feet to ask for 



252 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

the holy habit, and no doubt it was due to 
his interviews with Bl. Reginald, who had 
been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, that he 
felt such an attraction for the Holy Land, 
that land always beautiful by its memories 
to those of strong faith, a land always sweet 
and strengthening even in its desolation. 
The General Chapter sent him there in 
company with Bl. James Xaron, who was 
later on regarded as a saint in Candia, and 
Bl. Stephen of Susiquan, who was related to 
the royal family of Cyprus. They founded 
several convents at Bethlehem, Nazareth, 
etc. Thanks be to God, this early planting 
of our Order in the Holy Land has been 
renewed in our own days by the foundation 
of the Convent of St. Stephen at Jerusalem, 
on the very site of the basilica dedicated 
by the Empress Eudoxia to the proto- 
martyr. 

Prayer — O my God, how ill do I corre- 
spond to Thy inspirations! 

Practice — When some unattractive work 
is required to be done, or some service 
which no one cares to undertake, offer 
yourself humbly to your superior's with a 
good will and without affectation. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. . 253 

JUNE 5. 

St. Francis Caracciolo, C. 

Almighty God, willing to detach St. Fran- 
cis from all created things, permitted him 
to be attacked at the age of twenty-two by 
a horrible leprosy. Enlightened by this 
means as to the vanity of this world, of 
youth and beauty, he resolved to seek the 
world which passes not away, the youth 
which the elect enjoy eternally and the 
beauty of the soul, all of which are begun by 
grace on earth, and consummated by glory 
in Heaven. Having regained his health, 
St. Francis gave away all his goods to the 
poor and consecrated himself without re- 
serve to the service of his neighbor, espe- 
cially to the assistance of those condemned 
to death. He often repeated those words 
of the Psalms: "The zeal of thine house 
hath eaten me." He is venerated by the 
Church as the founder of the Clerks Reg- 
ular Minor, who add to the three vows of 
religion that of never seeking ecclesiastical 
dignities. St. Louis Bertrand highly es- 
teemed this institute, and one day, seeing St. 
Francis passing with his fellow worker, 
Ven. Adorus, he kissed their feet, saying 
that they deserved it, as they were the 



254 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Fathers of a holy Institute. St. Francis 
encouraged among his religious and the 
faithful who frequented their churches, the 
perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacra- 
ment. He himself passed whole nights at 
the foot of the tabernacle, and for this rea- 
son he is often represented kneeling before 
the monstrance (1608). 

Prayer — O my God, sin has made me even 
more horrible than a leper, grant that noth- 
ing may remain in me of this disease. 

Practice — Regard every trial which you 
meet in the path of life as a call from God 
to greater perfection. 



JUNE 6. 

St. Norbert, B., C. 

As a subdeacon St. Norbert had refused 
to receive the other holy orders so as to 
be able to give himself more freely to 
worldly vanities. But at the age of thirty- 
three he was one day overtaken by a ter- 
rible storm, accompanied by terrific light- 
ning and thunder, when he felt himself cast 
down to the earth like St. Paul on the road 
to Damascus. Being perfectly and instantly 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 255 

converted, he despised the vanities he had 
formerly so lo.ved, clothed himself in a poor 
tunic of skins in place of his fine clothes 
and girded himself with a cord. To repair 
the scandal he had before, given, he ob- 
tained leave of the Pope to go about preach- 
ing the Gospel. He walked barefoot even 
in the severest winter, took always Lenten 
diet and seemed like another St. John Bap- 
tist. St. Norbert founded the Order of Pre- 
monstratensians, from whose rule our holy 
Father St. Dominic borrowed certain cere- 
monies and observances, for he thought 
highly of their wisdom. St. Norbert recom- 
mended three things especially to his re- 
ligious. (1) Purity of heart and exterior 
cleanliness in everything regarding the ser- 
vice of the altar; (2) eagerness to expiate 
faults against the rule in chapter; (3) the 
practice of hospitality and the care of the 
poor. Zealous for the purity of the faith 
and the good of the .faithful he sought out 
and by his arguments confounded the here- 
siarch Taukelin, who desired to overthrow 
the hierarchy and to encourage the general 
corruption of manners. The demon, who 
was furious against him, spoke of him as 
*'that white dog" in allusion to the white 
woollen tunic worn in his Order. He died 
in 1234. 



^ 



256 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Prayer — O my God, make me eloquent 
in preaching by my example! • 

Practice — Be careful to repair harm done 
by bad example, especially that which you 
have given to inferiors. 



JUNE 7. 

BL Stephen Baiidel, C, O. P. 

Bl. Stephen was a friar of the Convent of 
Piacenza, which had numbered among its 
priors St. Peter Martyr who caused a well 
to be dug there, the waters of which con- 
tained healing properties. In this convent 
lived also the great missionary, John of 
Rivalta, honored with the title of Blessed. 
Stephen, carrying on these holy traditions, 
became by his application to study ver> 
learned in theology and canon law. But his 
talent for preaching was even more remark- 
able and was of so powerful a character 
that he was compared to St. Paul. He 
loved to reanimate fervor in tepid and lag- 
ging souls, knowing how God is offended, 
not only by open and scandalous sinners, 
but also by those who fail to correspond 
with His grace and give themselves slug- 
gishly and unwillingly to His service. After 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 257 

his death Bl. Stephen was seen to appear in 
the air, together with the Blessed Virgin, 
over the town of Saluces when beseiged by 
cruel enemies. In fact he delivered it from 
imminent ruin, and the inhabitants vowed a 
gratitude which has never failed down to our 
own times, in spite of man's natural tendency 
to forget past benefits (1450). 

Prayer — "Awake, then, O my soul, and 
shake off this drowsiness which has lasted 
all through life" (St. Catherine of Sienna). 

Practice — Meditate on these words of St. 
Paul: "Be ye imitators of me, even as I 
am of Jesus Christ," and ask yourself if you 
are eager to fulfill them. 



JUNE 8. 

St. Angela of Merici, V, 

Whilst still a child St. Angela had the 
courage to disfigure her features and spoil 
her beautiful hair in order that she might 
thenceforth please God alone. Her life was 
spent in giving to the poor the alms she 
had herself begged, serving the sick, ob- 
taining pardon for the condemned, recon- 
ciling enemies, converting persons of disso- 

17 



258 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

lute life, and this especially after she had 
entered the Third Order of St. Francis of 
Assisi. After having made a pilgrimage 
to the Holy Land, and also to Rome, to 
which she came for the jubilee and received 
marks of esteem from, Clement VII, she 
founded a society of ladies living in the 
world who devoted themselves to visiting 
prisoners, attending the sick and above all 
to instructing children. This was the be- 
ginning of the Order of Ursulines, the chief 
work of her life, and which, under various 
forms has done so much good in the Church. 
"O Divine Saviour," St. Angela cried out 
in her agony, ^'break open this prison of my 
earthly body and receive this soul which 
longs for Thee" (]o40). 

Prayer — St. Angela, obtain for the yourig 
a contempt of earthly vanities, especially in 
the matter of dressing the hair. 

Practice — Consider how "the father of a 
family gives most attention to that part of 
his dwelling which is ruinous and likely to 
fall; so must the compassionate man act in 
regard to the assistance of his neighbor. 
Not to devote himself to them is to be want- 
ing in mercy, to have no inclination to do 
so is worse still, but to blame and hinder 
those who devote themselves to such a good 
work is the worst of all" (Bl. Humbert, O. P.). 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 250 

JUNE 9. 

BB. Diana d^Andalo, Cecilia and Amy, 

vv., o. p. 

Diana d'Andalo, a young lady of noble 
family in Bologna, went to hear the preach- 
ing of Bl. Reginald, attired as usual in costly 
and fashionable garments. Now it just hap- 
pened that the preacher was decrying fem- 
inine luxury and vanity. His words went 
home to Diana's heart, she felt humbled, she 
was enlightened and transformed. Without 
delay she discarded her fine clothing and set 
herself, in spite of many trials and obstacles, 
to found the monastery of St. Agnes, which 
she governed for many years, aided by the 
counsels and letters of Bl. Jordan (1236). 
She had as her companion, Sister Cecilia, 
who, at the age of seventeen, had received 
the habit from the hands of St. Dominic, at 
San Sisto, in Rome. As St. Mary Magdalen 
had been permitted to be the friend of Our 
Lord, so Bl. Cecilia attached herself to St. 
Dominic, and the holy Patriarch, finding in 
this simple and generous soul a certain con- 
formity to his own, spoke to her and treated 
her, on his side with a truly paternal con- 
fidence. By this means Bl. Cecilia has been 
able to hand down to us certain precious de 
tails in the life of St. Dominic which render 



260 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

him even more lovable in the eyes of his 
children (1290). The second companion of Bl. 
Diana, Bl. Amy, is like a violet whose per- 
fume remains because it comes from God, 
but whose origin and life are hidden from 
the eyes of men. 

Prayer — St. Dominic, beloved father! 
pardon us for having followed your counsels 
and maintained your spirit so imperfectly. 

Practice — Desire to imitate our holy 
Father St. Dominic, and in order to do so 
say before each action: "What would St. 
Dominic do in my place?'* 



JUNE 10. 

Bl. John Dominic, Cardinal, O. P. 

Bl. John Dominic was the child of poor 
parents and began life as an artisan. But 
his diligence in study soon enabled him to 
enter the Order and he became there a 
model religious by his piety, and by his 
talents an illustrious preacher, although at 
first he had an impediment in his speech. 
He was the first in Italy to attempt to re- 
turn to the primitive observance, which had 
gradually been abandoned, and for this end 



. SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 261 

he founded the celebrated Convent of 
Fiesole. He met with much opposition, 
both open and dissimulated, in carrying out 
his project. His power of attracting good 
subjects to the Order was so great that he 
was called "the seducer of youth." He 
loved the beauty of the Divine Office and 
took pleasure in illuminating the choir 
books; he also encouraged the nuns of the 
Order in this work. After having been 
made cardinal, he put a stop to a serious 
schism and to give an example of personal 
disinterestedness in the common cause, he 
resigned his high, dignity at the Council of 
Constance. But his resignation was not 
accepted; on the contrary, he was intrusted 
with affairs of the greatest importance for 
the peace and welfare of Christendom. 
Until his last hour he labored for the good 
of the Church. It was said of him, as of St. 
Bonaventure by his master, the celebrated 
Alexander of Helos: "One would think 
Adam had not sinned in him" (1420). 

Prayer — O Lord, sustain those who labor 
to preserve, or to reestablish, regular ob- 
servance in the Order. 

Practice — Say a "Veni Creator" for the 
peace of the Church and unity in the hier- 
archv, under the direction of the Supreme 
Pontiff. 



262 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JUNE 11. 

St. Barnabas, Apostle. 

Barnabas having heard the preaching of 
Jesus and being well instructed and sincere, 
recognized Him at once as the Messiah 
promised in the Holy Scriptures. He threw 
himself at Jesus' feet, asking His blessing 
and was thenceforth numbered among die 
seventy-two disciples. St. Barnabas' real 
name was Joseph, but the Apostles called 
him Barnabas, which means "son of con- 
solation," on account of his happy disposi- 
tion and the way in which he carried out 
the teaching of the Master: "Learn of Me 
for I am meek and lowly of heart." He 
long worked for the conversion of St. Paul, 
who was his friend, and when this miracle 
was wrought by divine grace, it was he who 
presented the new convert to the Apostles. 
He took such an active part in assisting St. 
Paul, set apart for this work by the Holy 
Ghost, that he himself is honored in the 
Church as an Apostle. It is said that he 
came to preach the Gospel in Liguria and 
founded the Church in Milan. When re- 
turning from the East he was martyred in 
the island of Cyprus, being nearly sixty-one 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 263 

years of age. The Jews tried to burn his 
body, but the flames had no power over it. 
When his reHcs were discovered, there was 
found on his breast a Gospel according to 
St. Matthew, written in his own hand. His 
remains were afterwards translated to the- 
Church of St. Sernin at Toulouse, one of 
the richest in relics in the world. 

Prayer — O Lord, grant that I may be a 
consolation to those about me, especially to 
my superiors. 

Examen. — How do you practice kindness 
in word and acts, especially towards those 
who are melancholy and disagreeable? 



JUNE 12. 

Bl. Fr. Everard, C, O. P. 

Fr. Everard was Archdeacon of Langres, 
when Bl. Jordan, who drew more than a 
thousand novices to the Order, gave him 
the holy habit. From that time he became 
a new man, full of admiration for the holi- 
ness of his state, and of gratitude for hav- 
ing received the grace of a vocation, fear- 
ing to render himself unworthy of it. He 



264 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

set himself to attain perfection in every- 
thing, imitating the poverty of the solitaries, 
the regularity of the cenobites, the simplicity 
of children, applying himself to do each 
action as if it were his last, a simple and 
excellent means of sanctification. His great 
desire to see the holy Patriarch St. Dom- 
inic, for whom he had the greatest venera- 
tion, led him to undertake a journey to 
Rome on foot, begging his bread by the way. 
His austerities and apostolic labors brought 
on a mortal illness, and while the doctors 
hesitated to tell him the truth, he said to 
them, guessing the cause: "Sirs, death is 
only terrible to those who have not thought 
of it, but the news of its approach is most 
agreeable to the servants of God, who wish 
for it with ardor, because it opens to them 
the gate of eternity." 

Prayer — O my God, grant that I may fear 
sin now, so that I need not fear death when 
it comes to call me in Thy name. 

Practice — Beg those who attend you not 
to be afraid to tell you when you are in 
danger of death, make them promise to do 
so beforehand. Render the same service to 
others, especially those dependent on you. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 265 

JUNE 13. 

St. Antony of Padna. 

St. Antony of Padua deserves our honor 
on this day not only because of the fraternal 
union of the Orders of St. Francis and St. 
Dominic, but as a great apostle and wonder- 
worker, a Saint popular throughout the 
whole world. He entered first among the 
Canons Regular, but hearing of the martyr- 
dom of several Friars Minor, the desire for 
imitating them led him into the Seraphic 
Order. For a long time he concealed his 
talents, but one day, the superior having or- 
dered him to preach to a large audience 
of religious, the Spirit of God took such a 
hold of him during his discourse that all 
were in admiration. The Pope himself, after 
hearing him preach, called him "the Ark 
of the Testament," so well did he use the 
treasures of Holy Scripture. He became 
one of the greatest apostles of his age and 
preached at Aries, Montpellier, Toulouse, 
Brives, Limoges, Bourges, etc. At the age 
of thirty-six he was ripe for heaven. On 
his deathbed St. Antony sang the penitential 
Psalms with his brethren (1231). Bl. John 



266 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

of Vicenza, O. P., was charged with the 
inquiry for his canonization. He is invoked 
in order to find things lost and to obtain 
help against shipwreck (1231). 

Prayer — O my God, give me simplicity of 
heart and language! 

Examen on obedience — Are you assured 

that obedience is necessary for alL not only 

for religious? Do you submit to everything 

prescribed by legitimate authority, as for 
God, promptly and cheerfully? Do you not 

inspire others with a secret spirit of clique 
and rebellion? 



JUNE 14. 

St. Basil the Great, B., D. 

The friendship of St. Basil with St. 
Gregory Nazianzen from their earliest youth 
is well known. It was a pure unselfish 
friendship, without flattery and tending only 
to progress in good. St. Basil founded sev- 
eral communities of monks and prescribed 
rules in which the severity of the solitary 
life was tempered by a certain amount of 
active work. This organization has caused 
him to be looked upon as the Father of the 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 267 

Eastern monks, even those who followed St. 
Antony, just as St. Benedict is regarded as 
the Father of the monks of the West. St. 
Basil continued to be superior of these re- 
ligious even after he had been made Arch- 
bishop of Caesarea. For, the Church of God 
being attacked by the Arians, he felt bound 
to sacrifice the delights of solitude in order 
to defend the truth by his preaching and 
writings. This he did regardless of perse- 
cution and threats of death from Julian, the 
apostate and the Emperor Valens. His 
audiences were so numerous and so moved 
by his words that they seemed like a 
stormy ocean. The Holy Ghost, under the 
form of a dove, was often seen assisting him 
while he wrote. St. Basil often passed his 
days fasting and his nights in prayer; his 
life was one of such austere penance that 
when he died he seemed to be nothing but 
skin and bones (379). 

Prayer— O my God, grant that the re- 
ligious spirit may flourish, particularly the 
monastic spirit, even in the world. 

Practice — Ask St. Basil to strengthen the 
Christians in the East in the faith, and to 
bring them back, if they have unfortunately 
strayed from it. 



268 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS, 

JUNE 15. 

Ven. Julianna Morel, V., O. P. 

Ven. Julianna was naturally endowed with 
wonderful intelligence, and this gift, culti- 
vated by study, made her a prodigy of 
learning. At the age of twelve, she spoke 
seven living languages and astonished the 
most celebrated doctors by her arguments 
on theology and philosophy. But all this 
human knowledge, though it awoke in her 
longings after the Infinite, far from satisfy- 
ing these desires, seemed to lead her further 
from their fulfillment. Taking then another 
path, she retired into the cloister, there to 
give herself by preference to the study of 
the Gospel maxims and the practice of self- 
renunciation, certain of finding there on 
every side the true and perfect good under 
a more simple and engaging form. She was 
several times prioress of the monastery of 
St. Praxedes at Avignon, where she foun- 
ded traditions of the spiritual life which long 
survived her. Ven. Julianna Morel had a 
great love for the sick and cleverly invented 
many little ways of relieving them, also of 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 269 

cheering and recreating them. Her com- 
mentary on the treatise of St. Vincent Ferrer 
on the spiritual life is much esteemed (1635). 

Prayer — O Lord, open my understanding 
with regard to the maxims of the Gospel 
and the beauty of Christian perfection. 

Practice — Meditate on these words of the 
Psalmist: "The Lord reveals His secrets 
to the humble and hides them from the 
proud." And see whether your little under- 
standing of the things of God does not 
spring from your want of humility. 



JUNE 16. 

Yen. Fr. Bartholomew de Las Casas, 

C, O. P. 

Las Casas was led by his sense of justice, 
his tender charity and his love for souls 
redeemed by the blood of Christ to become 
the defender, friend, servant and father of 
the oppressed Indians in America. Having 
entered the Order of St. Dominic in middle 
age attracted by the austere life and the 
frank, generous spirit, he recommended his 



270 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

apostolate with increased faith and devo- 
tion and after being made Bishop of Chiapa, 
he made long journeys over the mountains 
to baptize children and to prepare adults 
for the sacraments. The esteem in which he 
was held was so great that in order to re- 
establish peace in a tribe, it sufficed to send 
an Indian carrying an old piece of parch- 
ment at the end of a stick, mentioning that 
it came from Las Casas. At last he was 
wearied out with the futility of his efforts, 
although supported by the Franciscan Car- 
dinal Ximenes, who had been named Pro- 
tector General of the Indians, he retired 
into solitude and lived for fifteen years in 
the exercise of prayer and penance. He 
continued to write on behalf of the Indians 
till his death at the age of ninety-two. One 
of his works, entitled "Confesonario," is on 
the duties of confessors, especially in their 
dealings with oppressors of the weak (1566). 

Prayer — "Eternal life is fiowing for us, 
and we, poor creatures that we are, do not 
profit by it" (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Examen. — Do you thank God for the 
blessing of faith? Is yours a living, active 
faith? May you not end by being more 
guilty than the heathen? 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 271 

'^- ' JUNE 17. 

Bl. Amicie de Montf ort. 

Amicie was the daughter of the valiant 
Count Simon de Mcntfort, called the "J^^^^s 
Maccabeus of his age," a strong bulwark of 
the faith and the victim of his zeal in fight- 
ing before Toulouse against the enemies of 
the Church. Inheriting her father's chival- 
rous sentiments and his love of the Order 
of St. Dominic, she obtained for her only 
son, who had fought in the Crusades under 
St. Louis, the grace of a vocation to the 
Order of Friars Preachers. He did well 
to correspond with this grace quickly, for 
he died in the Isle of Cyprus, soon after be- 
ing clothed with the holy habit. His gener- 
ous minded mother, already a Tertiary, re- 
solved to give herself more perfectly to 
God in the Monastery of Montargis, which 
she had founded for fifty religious. "For," 
she said, "not being able to be a man and 
a preacher, I will at least be a Sister of the 
Order." In fact, the nuns of the Order are 
often called "Preacheresses"; their morti- 
fications and prayers by day and by night 
increase the success of the Friars' preaching 
and their example ought to be a sermon in 



272 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

itself. Thus the life of Amicie was spent 
in silence, penance, prayer and humility. 
Some old authors give her the title of 
Blessed (Thirteenth century). 

Prayer — My God, Thou art the light which 
renders the heart upright without deception, 
and large without constraint. 

Examen. — How do you love your rela- 
tions? In the sight of God? Do you care 
for their eternal interests before anything 
else? Do you rejoice to see among them 
vocations to the priesthood or to the relig- 
ious life? 



JUNE 18. 

Bl. Osanna of Mantua, V., O. P. 

Bl. Osanna entered the Third Order at the 
age of fourteen. But she put off her pro- 
fession to the end of her life, that is for 
fifty-six years, always deeming herself un- 
worthy of so high a vocation. She was 
always deeply interested in the apostolic 
work of the Fathers, and when they set out 
on a journey, she offered herself to Our 
Lord to suffer in their place all the acci- 
dents which might befall them. On the 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 273 

death of her parents, she found herself in 
charge of the household, but far from neg- 
lecting the duties of her state to perform 
her devotions, she took the greatest care 
of the family, including the servants. The 
learned Fr. Sylvester of Ferrara, the author 
of her life, thus speaks of her amiability: 
"tier works, her lips, all her features, nay 
everything smiled together in this innocent 
creature, but with a reserve that further in- 
creased the attraction of her person." 

Once she was crossing a river when the 
boat went to pieces, and those on board lost 
all hope of escape, but Bl. Osanna taking a 
crucifix in her hand, opened a way for them 
through the waters. She suffered much in 
her life, especially towards the end, but she 
often declared that she would not exchange 
her pains for all the treasures of the world. 
She is said to have received the stigmata 
(1505). 

Prayer — O my Jesus, may I always regard 
the dispositions of Thy Providence as most 
precious treasures, though they may seem 
to me strange and incomprehensible. 

Practice — Say a "Memorare" for those 
who murmur secretly or openly against 
Divine Providence, thus turning their bless- 
ings into a cause of sin. 

18 



274 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JUNE 19. 

Bl. Maurice of Albi, C, O. P. 

• 
Bl. Maurice left his family, which was of 
noble origin, to enter among the first relig- 
ious of the Convent of Toulouse, of which 
he became one of the founders and a model 
to his brethren, thus exemplifying the old 
adage that "religious of noble origin and 
refined education, once drawn towards per- 
fection, give lessons of poverty, humility, 
austerity and amiability which astonish those 
of more lowly birth." He united rare en- 
ergy and admirable patience with great 
gentleness in dealing with the enemies of 
the faith. When he came to Albi to preach, 
he was received by the Franciscans, who 
were in distress. They did not desire a lux- 
urious dwelling, or soft garments, or deli- 
cate food, but only clear and wholesome 
water to quench their thirst and take with 
their poor fare. Maurice, touched by their 
simple needs, prayed, and then made them 
dig in a certain spot, whence a spring 
of pure water welled up, to which God also 
gave the power of healing. The servant of 
God died in this convent, and his tomb be- 
came famous for many miracles (1249). 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 275 



Prayer — Heart of Jesus, be to me a foun- 
tain of sweetness! 

Examen. — Do you practice hospitality as 
under ^ the eyes of Jesus? Joyfully, without 
ostentation and trying not to disturb the 
regularity of the house? Do you receive 
hospitality with gratitude, simplicity and dis- 
cretion, edifying your hosts and striving not 
to wound charity. 

JUNE 20. 

Ven. Fr. Alexander Baldrati, M., O. P. 

After passing a fervent novitiate begun 
at the age of sixteen, this religious was as- 
sailed by so violent a temptation that only 
those who have passed through a like trial 
can understand it. He became by degrees 
so full of antipathy towards his brethren, 
that he set off for the East without per- 
mission. In vain did Fr. Nicholas Ridolphi, 
General of the Order, the more merciful as 
he himself had been sorely tried, offer him 
pardon. He only replied "Treason, they 
wish to kill me." However, when the Turks 
seized him and stripped off his scapular, he 
entered into himself, by the grace of God 
and courageously confessing his faith, was 
condemned to be burnt. ! He showed the 
greatest constancy in the flames, invoking 



276 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

the holy name of Jesus and those of St. 
Dominic and St. Catherine of Sienna. But 
neither his body, nor his scapular, which he 
had regained, could be burnt, so be was 
finally stabbed. Doves came and rever- 
ently pecked at the earth soaked with his 
blood, and his remains, bought for a high 
price by the Christian merchants, received 
all the honors due to the relics of martyrs 
(1645). 

Prayer — "O Jesus, most dear Brother, you 
deign to pardon me in spite of my unfaith- 
fulness' (Bl. H. Suso). 

Practice — Be very patient with reserved 
and melancholy characters, do not wound 
them, but help them with consoling thoughts 
and ask Our Lady, *'the cause of our joy," 

to gladden their hearts. 



JUNE 31. 

St. Louis Gonzaga, S. J. 

As a child St. Louis Gonzaga's aspirations 
after sanctity began very early, and he 
struggled with energy against his faults, 
without being discouraged by difficulties and 
falls, for, as he said: "He who is sad and 
downcast when he has committed a fault 
shows that he does not know himself; he 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 277 

does not remember that he has sprung from 
a soil which can only produce thorns and 
thistles/' After his admission into the Soci- 
ety of Jesus, his virtues shone out in a heroic 
degree. The son of a prince, he delighted 
in poverty, he had in his cell only two small 
pictures, one of St. Catherine, V. and M., 
and the other of St. Thomas Aquinas, for 
he belonged to the Angelic Warfare and 
always wore the cord. Loving obedience 
greatly, he always preferred in doubtful 
cases to obtain an express permission rather 
than presume on one. His chief mortifica- 
tion consisted in conforming to the common 
practices of the community which, by their 
continual recurrence, form a very mortifying 
and meritorious trial and he devoted himself 
to the most servile and hidden occupations. 
He died in 1597. Benedict XHI, O. P., can- 
onized him and declared him the patron of 
youth. Who knows how much good has 
been done by the devotion of the six Sun- 
days observed in his honor in order to ob- 
tain the grace of purity, success in studies, 
light as to vocation and similar graces? 

Prayer — O Lord, blot out the sins and 
ignorances of my youth! 

Practice — Study the art of making use of 
your defects whilst awaiting your deliverance 
from them. 



278 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JUNE 22. 

Bl. Innocent V, Pope, O. P. 

At the age of ten Bl. Innocent had already 
left his native mountains of Tarentaise ?nd 
soon after he received the habit of the Order 
in Paris. Close to the novitiate was the 
''little school," where the youngest novices 
learnt the rules of grammar and rhetoric and 
the elements of science. There he got on 
well with his studies and became in time a 
learned professor and then Provincial. The 
distinctive features of his government were 
his high idea of the end of the religious 
state, viz. : . perfection, and his gentleness 
in the treatment of subjects and in the man- 
agement of affairs. He employed his leisure 
time in writing theological works useful for 
the apostolic ministry such as his "Alphabet 
of the Art of Preaching." From the life of 
the cloister, he was called by Divine Provi- 
dence first to be Archbishop of Lyons and 
to assist in the work of the General Coun- 
cil, then to be made a m.ember of the Sacred 
College by Bl. Gregory X and finally, by the 
unanimous votes of the cardinals, to occupy 
the Chair of St. Peter. During the five 
months of his Pontificate he found means to 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 279 

promote regular discipline in his Order, to 
organize a crusade in Spain, to reconcile 
several cities at variance with each other and 
some princes with the Holy See, thus form- 
ing a great alliance of Catholic forces to 
rescue the holy places from the infidels. He 
died in the plenitude of his strength, but 
ripe for Heaven (1276). 

Prayer — "O immeasurable greatness of 
the Divine Providence Whose will nothing 
can frustrate! Who would not admire the 
depth of your designs and the infinite re- 
sources of your wisdom" (Bl. Innocent V). 

Practice — Watch carefully over the em- 
ployment of your time. 



JUNE 23. 

Ven. Fr. Sebastian Michaelis, C, O. P. 

Fr. Sebastian Michaelis was born at St. 
Zacharie, near the Sainte Baume, and be- 
came, through his good training in the cel- 
ebrated Convent of St. Romain at Toulouse, 
an eminent religious. The fame of his zeal, 
eloquence and learning brought him the 
ofYer of the bishoprics of Frejus and Orange, 



280 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

but he refused them. God showed him that 
he would save souls better by reestablishing 
religious fervor, the original source, hid« 
den yet abundant, of apostolic virtues. 
Every time he was put in a post of author- 
ity his efforts failed, but having ceased to 
be Provincial and beginning his reform, like 
Bl. Raymond of Capua, in humility and suf- 
fering in an almost abandoned convent, bis 
work was blessed by God. His reform, in 
which he happily united the threefold ele- 
ments of (1) religious observance, (2) in- 
terior spirit, (3) application to sacred 
studies, gave rise to a flourishing Province, 
that of Toulouse, which has furnished ex- 
cellent subjects to the Order, even to Rome. 
He was preaching at Montpellier when he 
was shot at by a heretic, but the ball only 
pierced his cappa. Bl. Michaelis left to his 
religious as his testament these three max- 
ims: "Serve God assiduously; observe the 
constitutions exactly; keep the solitude of 
the cell and the cloister" (1618). He is said 
to have had the gift of prophecy. 

Prayer — "O my soul, what art thou doing? 
Dost thou not know that God sees thee 
always" (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice— Do not go out of your house 
unless you are sure it is for the giory of God. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 281 

JUNE 24. ' 

St. John Baptist. 

Our Blessed Lord called St. John Baptist 
a "voice." In truth it is not only by his 
words, but by his personality, by his whole 
life that he says to us: "Prepare the way 
of the Lord." This is the chief subject of 
his preaching and penance — a worthy pen- 
ance, is the means he points out. Ke 
preached penance not merely with his lips, 
but by the coarseness of his clothing, the 
austerity of his fasts and the privation which 
he underwent in abstaining from conversa- 
tion with his fellow men, even from speak- 
ing with the Messiah, he who would have 
so well understood the words of the Saviour 
and to whom they would have been so sweet. 
Would you also taste the sweetness of 
divine love? You must pass first through 
the obscurity of faith and the bitterness of 
mortification, for that is the sure and the 
only way. You, above all, who are religious, 
imitate this great example by your spirit of 
solitude, by the poverty of your clothing 
and the frugality of your life, by the con- 
trast of your ways with those of the world, 
by your continual union with God. So, 



282 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

whether pregchers or not, you will each be 
a "voice/* and so you will become, to the 
profit of many souls, so many precursors of 
the Incarnate Word (31). 

Prayer — O miserable body, how I have 
indulged you! How different I am from St. 
Bernard, who had to ask pardon of his body 
for having treated it so severely. 

Examen. — Is not yours a count-erfeit pen- 
ance, instead of bringing forth worthy fruits 
of penance? Make a resolution to carry out 
in your deeds that which costs you most 
and which grace most urgently demands of 
you. So will you make consoling progress.' 



JUNE 25. 

Veil. M. Margaret of the B.Virgiii, V.,O.P. 

Ven. M. Margaret's intelligence in her 
early years equalled her piety so that at 
the age of eight she was allowed to go to 
Holy Communion. Her mother having fallen 
ill, she composed in order to please and dis- 
tract her a fine composition in verse on the 
Blessed Trinity. After the death of her 
mother, she took sole charge of the house 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 288 

and though young in years, she showed her- 
self already a woman, strong in character, 
prudent and self-sacrificing. One of her 
favorite practices to premote piety, peace 
and love of work was to persuade all the 
servants to begin each action with a "Hail 
Mary." She was so struck by the way in 
which, in the world, people destroy one 
another's reputation that she retired into a 
convent, where she instituted the ''Confra- 
ternity of Our Lady of Grace," which has 
been enriched with indulgences by the Holy 
See. Ven. Margaret's last illness continued 
for fifteen months; all this time she had 
frequently on her lips those words of Holy 
Scripture: "It is consummated" — "I die 
daily." If the fever left her a few moments, 
she was seen to take her Rosary and she 
died affectionately kissing a picture of 
Mary, (1663). 

Prayer — "O Jesus, deliver my eyes from 

the vanities of the world, my ears from 

useless conversations, my taste from seek- 
ing indulgence" (Bl. Henry Suso). 

Practice — Seek to put a stop to uncharita- 
ble conversation and then ask pardon for 
all sins of the tongue, your own and others, 
especially of those consecrated to God. 



284 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JUNE 36. 

BB. Peter and Arnaud, CC, O. P. 

In bringing these two brothers into the 
world as twins it seemed as if God would 
foreshadow by this natural uniformity, that 
wonderful union which would exist between 
them in the order of grace. After having 
studied together in Paris, they received side 
by side the habit of St. Dominic, they ad- 
vanced through life in the same path of 
sanctity and died the same day in the 
convent of Montpellier. Bl. Peter, already 
fortified with the last Sacraments and un- 
conscious that his brother was also dying, 
said to the prior; (in allusion to the custom 
of the Order in asking for a socuis when 
going out of the convent.) "What companion 
will you send with me to Heaven?" "The 
same with whom you were baptized/* replied 
the prior. Bl. Arnaud, at the moment of 
death, saw a procession, headed by St. Do- 
minic, coming to receive his soul. It might 
well be said of these two servants of God 
what the Church sings to-day on the feast of 
SS. John and Paul, also brothers by birth 
and martyrs together under Julian the 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 285 

Apostate. "They are like two olive branches 
and two candlesticks which burn before the 
Lord; they have come to Him and shall 
never be separated" (1220). 

Prayer — Blessed Peter and Arnaud, obtain 
entire union of heart between brothers and 
sisters. 

Practice — See if, by your imprudence, you 
have not caused divisions among your 
friends and strive rather by your good in- 
fluence to be known as "an angel of peace." 



JUNE 27. 

Ven. Mons. Olier, T., O. P. 

Mons. Olier was raised up in order to 
propagate among the clergy the spirit of 
Jesus as Priest, Victim and Redeemer, and 
this by means of the Society of St. Sulpice 
and the work of the direction of seminaries. 
For this end God, in His infinite wisdom, 
sent him first very great spiritual trials that 
he might know by experience the incapacity 
and abjection of our fallen nature. He 
showed him later on, in the interior dispo- 
sitions of Jesus and Mary, the great means 



28(5 SAINTS ANT) SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

of communicating new life to the soul. He 
desired that this work should be carried out 
by simple priests, practising in the exercise 
of their sacerdotal ofifiice the humble yet 
exalted virtues which they taught to others. 
The good which this man of God worked 
among all ranks of the clergy was very great 
and its effects have lasted till the present 
time. St. Francis de Sales blessed him as a 
child, St. Vincent de Paul received his last 
sigh. Mons. Olier was received into the 
Third Order by Pere Tarpon and at the hour 
of death,, "wearing the little scapular, he 
confessed with lively sentiments of devotion 
and gratitude that he was indebted to the 
Order of St. Dominic for all the graces he 
had received through life." Faillon (1657). 

Prayer — "O Lord Jesus, raise up some 
one who will renew with zeal and love the 
divine Order of St. Peter, even as St. Dom- 
inic has established his in Thy Church" 
(Ven. Mons. Olier). 

Practice — Ofifer one Communion for an in- 
crease of vocations to the priesthood and 
the growth of fervor in seminaries. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 287 

JUNE 28, 

Ven. Sister Paul of St. Teresa, O. P. 

At the age of eighteen Sister Paul, obey- 
ing a deep and long felt attraction, resolved 
to embrace the religious state and asked for 
the habit of St Dominic. But her parents, 
putting, as is so often the case, their human 
affections and worldly calculations in oppo- 
sition to the designs of God, insisted on her 
marriage. But Divine Providence always 
knows how to turn this enforced sojourn in 
the world into good. She soon became a 
widow and consecrated her spare time to the 
care of the poor, and in order to encourage 
her zeal, food provided for them was three 
times multiplied in her hands. She founded 
at Naples a convent of the Third Order, 
which adopted the rule of perpetual en- 
closure, and where, in her humility, she 
would only enter as a lay Sister. She used 
to say: "You can never be too grateful to 
those who humble you." Sister Paul saw 
one day in a dream two mysterious ladders, 
one of gold with Jesus at the top, the other 
of silver, held by Mary; it was a figure of 



288 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

the love and singular purity by which she 
was rendered worthy to attain to Heaven 
(1657). 

Prayer — **A11 of us, whether religious or 
seculars, desire to be something! To be 
and to appear — there lies the ruin of both 
great and small" (Bl. Henry Suso). 

Examen. — Do you love our Lord Jesus 
Christ as your merciful King? As your 
model full of encouragement? As your 
watchful shepherd? As your faithful friend? 
As your future reward? 



JUNE 39. 

St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles. 

St. Peter expresses by his name of Cephas, 
the firmness and stability of the faith of the 
Catholic Church, and he maintains it by the 
incomparable graces of his ministry, per- 
petuated in the person of his successors, the 
Roman Pontiffs. This wonderful privilege 
was not the result of St. Peter^s own intelli- 
gence,, for he was a poor, ignorant fisher- 
man, nor the recompense of exceptional 
fidelity, for he thrice denied his Master; it 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 289 

was a divine personal gift, without parallel 
mysterious in its source, palpable and kindly 
in its effects. Thanks to the strong paternal 
authority which the Sovereign Pontiff ex- 
ercises oyer the lambs and sheep, that is to 
say the faithful and their spiritual rulers, 
the gates of hell shall never prevail against 
the work of Christ. Let us, then, thank God 
for this privilege which renders our submis- 
sion to the Holy See both honorable and 
salutary, being sure that in leaning on the 
authority of Peter, we shall be freed from 
ourselves and from all error. "The word of 
the Pope is the word of God," said St. 
Liquori. "Write to the Pope as to St. Peter," 
said an eminent religious to a friend tempted 
to insubordination, "for he is St. Peter him- 
self" (P. Lacordaire). (66). 

Prayer — "My God, I entreat Thee to shed 
Thy light on Thy Vicar, so that he may be 
to us as Thyself" (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Make a pilgrimage, at least 'n 
spirit, to St. Peter's at Rome and there, 
having kissed the ground, say the "Credo." 



10 



290 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JUNE 30. 

Commemoration of St. Paul, Apostle. 

If St. Peter stands as a figure of faith, 
St. Paul admirably personifies the power of 
expansion in the Church to its widest ex- 
tent. He is *'the Apostle of the Nations/' 
faithful to the divine call, bold and zealous 
m action, indefatigable in combats, patient 
in difHculties, humble amidst high spiritual 
favors, sometimes severe towards Christians 
through excess of fervor; tender as a 
mother, who nurses, feeds and warms her 
little ones at her breast; disinterested al- 
most to a scruple, when with a holy pride, 
he works with his hands day and night to 
earn his bread. Henceforth he glories only 
in the Name and in the Cross of Jesus, two 
things in which are summed up all the Chris- 
tian life, all its austerity and sweetness. "O 
Paul, thy heart is indeed the heart of Christ" 
(St. John Chrys.). When shall we have a 
heart as great as thine, as patient, as full 
of love for the folly of the Cross, as burniriy: 
for the salvation of souls? O my God how 
far from it! What inefifable happiness and 
far we are from it! What inefifable happiness 
and greatly to be desired if converted and 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 291 

sanctified we may merit one day to seis St. 
Paul in Heaven, surrounded by all the souls 
and nations he has conquered for Jesus (66). 

Prayer — "Raise up, O Lord, another 
Paul to illuminate the earth, for we have 
need of great lights of faith" (St. Catherine 
of Siena). 

Practice— Meditate on chapter 3 of St. 
Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, especially 
on these words: "To me the least of all 
the saints is given this grace to preach 
among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches 
of Christ, and to enlighten all men that 
they ; may see what is the dispensation of 
the mystery which hath been hid from etern- 
ity in God, Who created all things." 



JULY 1. 

Bl. Chabert d'Aiguebelle, C, O. P. 

Having come from Savoy into Italy, Bl. 
Chabert had the happiness; of assisting at 
the death bed of St. Dominie and seeing 
several miracles worked at his tomb. On 
returning to Savoy, he received, through 
divine grace; a special attraction to the 
contemplative life and chose, with ' special 



292 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

permission, a retreat among the mountains 
which surround Aiguebelle. There he always 
remained, only coming forth at times to ex- 
ercise his apostolic ministry, for he never 
forgot and always desired to practice the 
maxim of the Order, *'To communicate to 
others the fruit of one's own contemplation." 
One day he descended from his solitude and 
said to the people of Aiguebelle: "Prepare 
what is necessary for the Holy Sacrifice. 
Here I said my first Mass and here I w^ll 
say my last." And so having said Mass with 
extraordinary compunction and fervor and 
received Holy Viaticum, he soon after ren- 
dered up his soul to God, with a tranquility 
which led those around him to think rather 
of the joys of Heaven than of the horrors 
of death (1267). 

Prayer — "The soul which reposes in 
Thee, O my God, dies to sensuality in tast- 
ing the joy of Thy Love" (St. Catherine of 
Siena). 

Examen — Do you assist at Mass as often 
as possible? With what intention, general 
or particular? With what exterior rever- 
ence? Do you make a spiritual Communion? 
Do you give those imder your care the op- 
portunity of hearing Mass, even on a week 
day if they desire it? 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 293 

JUIiY 3. 

The Visitation. 

In the mystery of the Visitation the 
Blessed Virgin is set before us as a very 
practical model of humility, charity towards 
our neighor and gratitude towards God. In 
her humility she acknowledges her own 
nothingness, and delights in confessing it. 
Through charity she, full of courage, sac- 
rifices without hesitation the joys of solitude 
and contemplation to take a long journey 
over the mountains, eager to show to Eliza- 
beth the most delicate and most devoted 
attentions. Her gratitude causes her to 
attribute to God alone the graces with which 
she is filled and she glorifies Him through 
them in her song of thanksgiving the 
"Magnificat," which the Church and pious 
souls are never tired of repeating. A great 
servant of Mary, Bl. Raymond of Capua, 
composed an Ofifice for the feast of the 
Visitation which had just been established, 
in order to obtain from Mary her protec- 
tion for the Church, torn by a deplorable 
and long standing schism. He also com- 
posed a commentary on the "Magnificat," 



294 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

unfortunately lost, which was greatly praised 
by contemporary Writers, especially by BI. 
Stephen Maconi, General of the Carthusians, 
the friend and disciple of St. Catherine of 
Siena. 

Prayer — *'0 eternal God, Thou art pas- 
sionately in love with thy lost creature. I 
thank Thee in spite of my lowliness and 
unworthiness" (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Pray for the religious of the 
Visitation and for all their good works. 



JULY 3. 

W. Mark of Modena, 0., O. P. 

A Dominican Bishop, Albert Boschetti, 
introduced the Franciscans, the Hermits of 
St. Augustine and the Friars Preachers into 
Modena in 1234. In the convent founded by 
him lived B. Mark, whom the Church puts 
before us as a perfect imitator of St. Paul, 
full of zeal for the glory of God and the 
good of souls, and wholly devoted to a 
truly apostolic life. He preached in the 
principal towns of Italy; innumerable sin- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 295 

ners were converted, and many of the just 
embraced a more perfect life. Like the 
great apostle he feared, lest having preached 
to others, he himself should be lost. He 
added to the preaching of the Gospel, con- 
stancy in prayer and works of penance. He 
died embracing the Crucifix with tender 
affection and was buried beneath the Rosary 
Altar (1498). Modena had later on for 
bishop and imitator of Bl. Mark, Egidius 
Andria, O. P., who had been Master of the 
Sacred Palace and who established in Mo- 
dena a Mont-de-Piete and a refuge for the 
protection and rehabilitation of young girls. 
At the Council of Trent, he gained such a 
reputation that he was called an "ark of 
learning" (1498). 

Prayer — "O holy Passion, Thou healest 
all maladies, provided that the sick consent 
to their cure" (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — ^^^^hen it is necessary to give 
some reprimand or good advice to your 
neighbor, address it first to yourself, for 
you are your own nearest neighbor. 



296 SAINTS AND SAINTLY D02.yNICANS. 

JULY 4. 

Ven. Catherine Jarrige, T., O. P. 

Catherine Jarrige, a Dominican Tertiary 
of the village of Cantal, was poor and il- 
literate, but rich in faith and charity. She 
did great service to others by a heroic 
courage, a joyous disposition, a mixture of 
good nature, good sense and tact which won 
all hearts, and she fulfilled many works of 
mercy, especially during the great revolu- 
tion. Thus she became, in her humble 
sphere, an imitator of St. Catherine of 
Siena, whose name she had received in 
baptism. Her life was spent in providing 
for priests hidden in the mountains and 
forests, enabling them to exercise their 
ministry in spite of secret agents and spies, 
in accompanying to the scaffold those who 
were surprised and condemned to death. 
She also encouraged the piety of the faithful 
in the midst of their severe trials, visited 
the prisioners and cared for the sick in 
their own houses or the hospitals. She also 
begged from door to door in order to help 
the poor and miserable, converted sinners 
from vice, comforted the dying and showed 
them the way to Heaven. No privations 
of any sort, no derision nor insults, no im- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 297 

prisonment, nor the peril of death a thou- 
sand times encountered, could quench her 
zeal; her only regret was having failed to 
obtain the crown of martyrdom. She died in 
harness at the age of eighty-two in great 
poverty. She is venerated as a saint, giving 
us a beautiful example of what a simple 
soul, enlightened by faith and burning with 
charity can do for the Church and souls in 
spite of triumphant evil (1836). 

Prayer — Grant, O Lord, that the revolu- 
tions raised up by ambition and impiety 
may serve to purify and perfect Thine elect. 

Practice — Make the Way of the Cross for 
persecutors. 



JULY 5. 

St. Antony Maria Zaccaria. 

Although piety, obedience and modesty 
were all noticable in St. Antony Maria from 
her earliest years they were surpassed by 
his compassion for the poor. Having fin- 
ished his studies and received the degree 
of doctor in medicine, he settled at Cremona 
and thought only of devoting his life to the 
aid of the bodily sufferings of his neighbors, 
when his director, Pere Marcel, O. P., fore- 
seeing the designs of God for this elect soul, 



298 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

led him to the study of theology. He 
employed in this way all the time left from 
his pious exercises, and just as St. Dominic 
as a young student sold his books to aid 
those in distress, so St. Antony Maria sac- 
rificed his love of study to go in search of 
sinners, assisted by a group of willing dis- 
ciples. His zeal expended itself on two ob- 
jects especially (1) the renewal of fervor and 
piety and the religious instruction of the 
faithful by means of Catechisms, frequenta- 
tion of the Sacraments, and the exercises 
of perpetual adoration; (2) the sanctifica- 
tion of the clergy, who had been led away 
into sensuality and worldliness by Protes- 
tant influence. To further this end he or- 
ganized regular assemblies, of which the 
instructive conferences were not the only 
good result, but an atmosphere was created 
of humility, goodness, regularity and true, 
simple piety which was felt to surround the 
Saint and his companions. Their first church 
was dedicated to St. Barnabas, hence their 
name of Barnabites. The Saint died in 1539 
at the age of thirty-seven. 

Prayer — My God, give to my director 
grace to know me well to work courage- 
ously for my reformation. 

Practice — Be on your guard against sen- 
suality. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 299 

JULY 6. 

Bl. Matthew of Paris, C, O. P. 

Bl. Matthew of Paris was dean of the 
Church of St. Vincent at Castres, when 
seeing St. Dominic in an ecstasy, he felt 
such an attraction to him that he left all 
to follow him. Under the direction and by 
the example of such a master, he made 
great progress in perfection and became so 
perfect an imitator of his virtues that he 
was called a "Second Dominic." The rare 
qualities of his mind and heart made him 
very dear to the holy Patriarch, who though 
himself enlightened by God, did not disdain 
to ask his disciple^s advice regarding im- 
portant affairs of the Order. When St. 
Dominic thought of going to preach to the 
. infidels (a design he could never carry out, 
so that he was a martyr only in desire) he 
made Bl. Matthew head of the Order under 
the title of Abbot, which was never borne 
in the Order except by him. That of Master 
General was afterwards adopted to designate 
the Head and Supreme governor of the 
Friars Preachers, who in his official acts 
styles himself "Servant of the whole Order." 
Bl. Matthew was sent by St. Dominic to 
begin the foundation in Paris with several 



300 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

companions, including a lay brother named 
Oderic. He governed the convent with great 
prudence, which was his chief characteristic, 
and he had the consolation of giving the 
habit to many good subjects, among whom 
was Bl. Jordan of Saxony. 

Prayer — St. Dominic, assist all the novices 
of the Order, especially those who enter 
being already priests, that they may be 
formed according to your spirit. 

Practice — Examine whether your conduct 
does not give a bad impression of the body 
to which you belong? If it is likely to 
make it more loved and esteemed and em- 
braced by souls of good will. 



JULY 7. 

Bl. Benedict XI, Pope, C, O. P. 

This religious was received into the Order 
out of charity at the age of fourteen and 
being an industrious scholar, he rose by 
degrees to be Master General. Having been 
made Cardinal and afterwards Pope, he 
showed much zeal in maintaining the rights 
of the Church, together with cleverness and 
great gentleness in his way of making them 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 301 

respected, so that he was able to re-estab- 
lish religious and civil peace in Italy, France, 
England, Germany and Hungary. But he 
desired that this peace should be founded on 
truth and justice towards the Church, as he 
says in one of his letters: "Is it possible 
that we should allow the wicked to rest in 
peace while the good are oppressed? Should 
we allow the innocent to perish? No, a 
thousand times, no, please God, the Roman 
Pontiff, the Pastor of all Christians in the 
world shall never be chargeable with this 
laxity.'^ He was planning a new crusade 
for the liberation of the Holy Land when 
God called him to a better life, the victim 
of a mysterious malady after having eaten 
some fruit presented by an unknown per- 
son (1304). It was this Pope who permitted 
to the Friars Minor the use of the Office 
of the Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi. 

Prayer — ''O my God, give to the Sover- 
eign Pontiff a new heart, that he may be 
unwearied in upholding the standard of the 
Cross" (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Pray for pilgrims to the Holy 
Land, and for the good work instituted for 
the benefit of the holy places. 



302 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS.; 

JULY 8. 

Bl. John Scalarins, C, O. P. 

Those souls (unfortunately rare) who ap- 
preciate purity of conscience at its true 
value, will have a particular veneration for 
this servant of God. It is true that he kept 
himself from too anxious introspection, or 
from hindering his pursuit of good by a 
servile fear. But the grace of God so filled 
his soul that the moment he discovered by 
this simple and penetrating light a motive 
in which the least fault lay hidden, he ac- 
cused himself of it with great compunction 
in the tribunal of penance. He saw in these 
faults evil which a less pure heart would 
not have noticed, and he understood that, 
though involuntary, they are often caused 
by our not having tried by every means 
such as self-examination, reading and volun- 
tary penance to root out the causes which 
lead to them. What a misfortune thus to 
be deprived through carelessness and slug- 
gishness of will of the treasure of a pure 
heart, in which God loves to dwell. Before 
his death Bl. John Scalarius desired for his 
own consolation to make a general con- 
fession, in which his confessor scarcely found 
even venial sin (1272). 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 303 

Prayer — O my God, forgive me, that my 
conscience i& not so strict as it should be 
with regard to venial sins, either in myself 
or others. 

Practice — Seek the cause and the remedies 
of your daily infidelities. 



JULY 9. 

St. John of Cologne or Gorcum, M., O. P. 

The martyrs of Gorcum were seized, sub- 
jected to every sort of derision and outrage, 
cruelly ill-treated and hanged on a gibbet by 
the Calvinists for having defended the dogma 
of the real presence of Jesus Christ in the 
adorable Sacrament of the Eucharist and 
the Primacy of the Roman Pontiff over the 
Universal Church, a primacy not merely of 
honor, but of jurisdiction. In the place of 
their martyrdom there grew up a miraculous 
tree, with as many flowers as there were 
victims. St. John was not originally one of 
the party, but being called to assist them 
in prison, he thus came to share their pro- 
fession of faith, their sufferings, their death 
and crown (1572). In the Gospel of their 
feast, our Blessed Lord shows us the true 
means of happiness here below: "You will 
bC:- happy,'* He says, "when men shall hate 



304 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

you, when they shall separate you and re- 
proach you and cast out your name as 
evil for the Son of Man's sake. Be glad in 
that day and rejoice, for your reward is 
great in Heaven." Alas! how few, in actual 
practice, understand this language or de- 
sire this reward! 

Prayer — "Bless, O Lord, those who give 
me Holy Communion, make them to rejoice 
in Thy holy will" (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Show forth your faith in the 
Holy Eucharist by exact observance of 
silence in Church, especially during Mass 
and the procession of the Blessed Sacrament. 



JULY 10. 

Ven. Sister Elizabeth de Levi, T., O. P. 

Elizabeth's father, although a Protestant, 
was kind to Catholics and allowed freedom 
to the religious of the County of Foix, of 
which he was military commander, even 
giving them alms. But the child, influenced 
by her governess, a fanatical bigot, held 
Rome and Papists in horror. Nevertheless, 
her mind and heart were inclined to Cathol- 
icism. "If it is true that your Church has 
altars and saints," she said to Catholic chil- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 305 

dren, "it must be very beautiful." "Yes," 
they replied, "and, besides, we pray to Our 
Lady." "How do you pray to her?" "We 
say the Rosary in her honor." This was 
enough to make her wish for a rosary; but 
the servant who had, at her own request, 
obtained it, was dismissed. However, Eliz- 
abeth only made her abjuration after her 
marriage. She had known at Albi, the 
Friars Preachers of the reform instituted by 
the Ven. Father Michaelis, especially the 
novice master; Fr. Hyacinth Suarez, and 
conceived the desire of a more perfect life, 
with the Third Order as the means thereto. 
She therefore entered the Congregation of 
Tertiaries at Toulouse, showing herself 
the most zealous of them all at meetings, 
chapters, penances and prayers. Her benefi- 
cence extended to the poor, the sick, pris- 
oners and sufferers of all classes. Her hus- 
band, likewise, felt her influence and be- 
came a fervent member of the Rosary Con- 
fraternity, a protector of religious, and in 
the measure possible an imitator of their 
regular life (1622). • 

Prayer — "O Goodness! O Brightness! O 
Light!" (Last words of Elizabeth). 

Practice — Pray for governesses and for 
teachers. 

20 



306 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JULY 11. 

Anniversary of Those Buried in Our 
Cemeteries. 

The Church surrounds the bodies of the 
dead with respect and devotion, for they 
have taken an important part in the struggle 
for virtue, and later on will share the eternal 
reward. The earth wherein they are laid is 
ordered to be protected from animals; cul- 
tivation is prohibited; a cross is erected and 
God is thus besought: ''May those whose 
bodies are here laid to rest, rejoice forever 
and ever in the fellowship of the saints." 
The Church also allows religious families to 
have their own places of burial, and likewise 
to inter there the faithful who have been 
devoted to them, so that those whom the 
same doctrine has nourished, who have been 
associated in the same prayers and good 
works, may also share the same resting- 
place and the same suffrages. This is why 
St. Dominic, when dying, perceiving that the 
priest on whose territory he was, counted 
on keeping his remains as a sacred treasure, 
exclaimed: "God forbid that I should be 
buried elsewhere than among my brethren! 
Take me away from here!" Let us, there- 
fore, pray for the dead buried near us in 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 307 

our cemeteries. It matters not whether they 
were great in the world's eyes or humble 
and hidden they are under our care, and 
the remembrance of their death continually 
gives us the same salutary lesson. 

Prayer — Where shall I be buried? Thou 

alone knowest, my God. May I at least die 

in friendship with Thee. This is the one 
thing necessary. 

Practice— Make a visit to the cemetery, at 
least in spirit, and recite a decade of the 
Rosary, meditating on the Fifth Sorrowful 
Mystery. 



JULY 13. 

St. John Gualbert, Abbot. 

John Gaulbert was waiting for an oppor- 
tunity to avenge the violent death of his 
brother, when he encountered the murderer 
in a place whence escape was impossible. 
On seeing the man fall at his feet with out- 
stretched arms imploring mercy in the name 
of Jesus crucified, he forgave him and treated 
him as a brother. It was Good Friday. This 
heroic act merited those special graces which 
make the great servants of God. John be- 
came the father of the monks of Vallom- 



308 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

brosa or the "Shady Valley," so-called on 
account of the great trees that shelter it. 
The basis of the Institute is the Rule of St. 
Benedict, but the eremitical life is more 
especially marked. The holy Founder never 
required from others what he did not prac- 
tise himself, and out of his love of poverty, 
seeing a monastery being built which was 
too handsome, he miraculously caused a 
little stream to swell to such an extent as 
to destroy the whole building. He energet- 
ically opposed the vice of simony. Before 
his death he was frequently heard repeating: 
"My soul hath thirsted for the strong, the 
living God; when shall I appear before 
Him?" (1073). There exist five beautiful let- 
ters full of charity and religious feeling, ad- 
dressed by St. Catherine of Siena to the 
monks of Vallombrosa, whom she greatly 
loved and esteemed. 

Prayer — To converse with God is one's 
delight, to be obedient, to fly conversations, 
to be assiduous in prayer and watchings, 
nothing else. Sweet Jesus, sweet Love! 
(St. Catherine). 

Practice — Overcome yourself generously 
on the difficult occasions when you have 
task or grant forgiveness; one such victory 
is worth a hundred others. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 309 

JULY 13. 

Bl. James of Voragine, B., C, O. P, 

In the early years of his religious life, Bl. 
James assiduously studied the Fathers of the 
Church, particularly St. Augustine; he also 
published the first Italian translation of the 
Holy Scriptures. At the age of thirty-seven 
he was elected Provincial of Lombardy, on 
account of his virtue and learning; later he 
became Archbishop of Genoa. In the midst 
of the political and religious agitations of his 
time he constantly preserved great interior 
peace so that his soul imaged forth the hap- 
piness of heaven. This peace he communi- 
cated to others; so much so, that the Church 
styles him, "a minister of reconciliation"; 
one word from his lips brought about the 
cessation of civil wars and inveterate feuds. 
There still exist several collections of his 
notes for sermons, of which one hundred and 
fifty are devoted to Our Blessed Lady. "Not 
wishing," he writes, "to allow my soul to 
slumber in indolence and cowardly torpor 
during the short time that remains to me 
here below, I intend to close these latter 
days by celebrating the praises of God and 
His glorious Mother, and thus prepare my- 



310 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

self for the eternal years?' His Golden Leg- 
end, as he is careful to remark, contains in- 
cidents credited in his day, but which some- 
times go beyond the bounds of probability. 
The work as a whole, however, is calculated 
to give a high idea of Christian perfection 
and of the wonders of God in His saints 
(1298). 

Prayer —Blessed Pontifif, take away from 
our age its selfishness, spirit of revolt and 
love of pleasure; then shall we enjoy peace. 

Examen. — What causes you to love peace 
of heart? Is it pride, vain imaginations, 
curiosity, fear of human judgments or the 
trials of life? 



JULY 14. 

St. Bonaventure, Cardinal, Doctor. 

Bonaventure, when a child, was saved from 
death by the prayers of St. Francis, who on 
seeing him cried out in spirit of prophecy: 
"O bona ventura'" Hence his name, sub- 
stituted for that of John. At an early age 
he entered the Order of St. Francis, and in 
time became General. His innocence and 
purity were so astonishing that according to 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 311 

the Master, Alexander Hales: "It seemed as 
though Adam had not sinned in him." In a 
short time he acquired such learning as to 
be considered capable when only twenty-two 
of publicly teaching in Paris. His numerous 
writings, in particular his two treatises on 
preparation for Mass, and different works 
on Mary, reveal his tender love of God, and 
have won for him the title of Seraphic Doc- 
tor. St. Bonaventure was united in close 
friendship with St. Thomas Aquinas, who, 
one day finding him busy with the life 
of St. Francis, said: "Let a saint write the 
virtues of a saint." He died at the Council 
of Lyons. On account of the fraternity ex- 
isting between the two Orders, Cardinal 
Peter of Tarentaise (afterwards Innocent V) 
was requested to preach the funeral oration 
before the Fathers of the Council. He took 
for his text the words: "I weep for thee, 
Jonathan, my brother" (1274). 

Prayer— My Godj I wish to love Thee with 
the ardor of the Seraphim. ' 

Practice — Meditate on this sentence of St. 
Bonaventure: "Go to Holy Communion 
even when you have less devotion than vou 
would wish. You do not approach the Holy 
Table to sanctify God, but for God to sanc- 
tify you." 



312 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JULY 15. 

St. Henry, Emperor. 

In St. Henry we behold a champion of 
the Kingdom of God upon earth, worthy of 
admiration and imitation. The duty of mak- 
ing use of his liberty to realize the divine 
kingdom in his own life, is incumbent upon 
every man. But, alas! Among the many 
called to help towards the foundation of so 
magnificent a kingdom, how few know how 
to undertake and complete their mission! 
How many, on the contrary, show them- 
selves indifferent and hostile! But the head 
of a people, especially a Christian people, is 
bound in his own sphere to use the power 
received from God for the establishment of 
His Kingdom. St. Henry, inspired by faith, 
and by the love of his people, understood 
this duty and courageously carried it out. 
He strove to make all things converge, per- 
sons and things, arts and customs, peace and 
war, the encouragement of good and the 
repression of evil, towards making man able 
to attain more easily the end — the posses- 
sion of eternal life. He therefore devoted 
himself to the extension of the Catholic re- 
ligion; rebuilt churches which had been 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 31o 

destroyed, erected new ones, founded mon- 
asteries and pious sanctuaries, and supported 
in his see the Sovereign Pontiff, attacked by 
the enemies of the faith. His works were 
blessed by God, for he undertook nothing 
without first recommending it to Him in 
prayer. To great courage he united pro- 
found humility, unalterable meekness and 
virginal modesty. 

Prayer — Oh, what a royal roa3 do these 
tread who seek in all things the will of God! 
(St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Find out and fight to the death 
the passion that tyrannizes over you; it is 
tim.e to make an end of it. 



JULY 16. 

Our Lady of Mount Carmel. 

It is indeed consoling to find Mary loved 
and served on Mount Carmel from the earli- 
est ages by most austere anchorites, as ten- 
derly as she is now by virgins consecrated 
to God, little children, poor sinners and 
newly converted savages. The use of her 
scapular is a great help towards promoting 



314 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

this devotion. Merely to wear it, to look at 
it, to kiss it, instinctively produces a horror 
of sin and sweetly incites to virtue. Even 
without our thinking of it, the scapular ob- 
tains for body and soul a protection which 
is sometimes almost miraculous. And if, 
notwithstanding, virtue seems to ianguish, 
the union contracted with the Carmelite 
Friars and Sisters is an assured, powerful 
and permanent help, supplying for what is 
wanting in us, especialh^ in the practice of 
the three virtues symbolized by the scapular: 
"Innocence, humility, penance." But what 
shall we say of the promises made by the 
Blessed Virgin — recognized by the Church 
as authentic — to help the Christian enrolled 
in the scapular to die well and to remain 
but a short time in purgatory f* O holy habit! 
may thy virtue enfold me to the end of my 
life, and when I am with God, mavest thou 
be transformed into a robe of glory, per- 
fumed with the love of Mary. 

Prayer — O vile garment of our o'wn will, 
thou causest nakedness of soul instead of 
clothing it! (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice— Provide scapulars for the mis- 
sions, or for a poor parish. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 315 

JULY 17. 

Bl. Elias of Toulouse, C, O. P. 

The "Sainte Baume," or grotto of St. 
Mary Magdalen, has always possessed an 
attraction for strong and recollected souls. 
Cardinal de Berulle has celebrated its glories 
in his ^'Elevations." St. Francis de Sales 
desired, but in vain, to go and pray there. 
St. Jane de Chantal, more fortunate, went 
on a pilgrimage; St. John Baptist de la 
Salle and St. Joseph Labre made a sojourn 
with great delight. Long before them 
Blessed Elias had obtained permission to 
dwell there that he might entirely devote 
himself to a life of prayer and penance. But 
at the end of a month weariness, fear and 
profound discouragement succeeded his en- 
thusiasm for piety and thirst for mortifica- 
tion. Happily, St. Mary Magdalen, who had 
known so well from experience, the empire 
of sensibility and the weaknesses of the hu- 
man heart at certain hours, appeared to him, 
as an ancient tradition relates, told him of 
her manner of life, her prayers, her ecstasies 
in the grotto, and animated him to perse- 
verance so that he remained in the holy 



o 



16 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 



desert for seventy years. At the moment of 
his blessed death all the bells rang of them- 
selves in applause of his triumph (1370). 

Prayer — Woe to us, if instead of the sweet 
friendship of Jesus, we prefer the favor of 
the world, which leads to the loss of time, 
dissipation of heart and the ruin of the 
spiritual life (Bl. Henry Suso). 

Practice — Meditate on Chap. Ivii, Bk. Ill 
of "The Imitation of Christ/' especially on 
the fourth verse, which comforts the soul 
in temptation with the hope of heaven. 



JULY 18. 

Bl. Ceslaus, C, O. P. 

From his childhood, the candor and piety 
of Bl. Ceslaus made him no less amiable 
than admirable. He was Chancellor of the 
Church of Cracow, when Providence led 
him, with Hyacinth his brother, to Rome, 
that he might meet St. Dominic. He quickly 
understood and loved the great Founder, 
received the habit from his hands and be- 
came in three months, under his direction, 
a perfect religious. Ceslaus begged as a 
favor to be sent back to the northern re- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 317 

gions; he had always loved them, knew 
their needs perfectly, and understood their 
language. From that time he worked with 
unflagging zeal in company with the cele- 
brated Henry of Moravia, for the progress 
of religious observance and in preaching the 
Gospel. He passed through cities and king- 
doms, converting the greatest sinners, and 
inflaming the most hardened hearts with the 
love of God. Heaven confirmed his words 
by striking miracles, and he is said to have 
raised three dead persons to life. Whilst 
laboring to convert sinners he did not neg- 
lect the spiritual welfare of the nuns of his 
Order; and as the fruit of his efiforts the 
Queen, Margaret, gave herself to God as a 
lay sister in the Monastery of Prague. After 
his death, Ceslaus appeared in glory to a 
privileged soul, and revealed to her that he 
was thus rewarded for his devotedness to 
the apostolic life (1242). 

Prayer — Oh, my blind and miserable soul, 
where are thy prayers, where is thy fervor? 
(St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice; Examen — How do you profit by 
sermons? Do you criticise them? Do you 
joke about them? Do you apply them to the 
faults of your neighbor instead of regarding 
the practical side which instructs you, blam.es 
you, and which will sanctify you? 



318 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JULY 19. 

St. Vincent de Paul. 

Merely to enumerate the works mentioned 
in St. Vincenf s office causes us a thrill of 
admiration and tears of consolation: the 
evangelization of the poor, the conversion 
of sinners, the institution of seminaries, 
sacerdotal retreats, the redemption of Chris- 
tians enslaved by the Moor?, the care of 
foundlings, of unmanageable young men, of 
young girls in danger, of religious dispersed 
by the wars, of galley slaves, of fallen wo- 
men, of poor pilgrims, of sick artisans, of 
beggars of all description and finally of poor 
foreigners. How many marvels! And the 
author, the hero, is a simple shepherd be- 
come a priest, without brilliant qualities, 
seeming even to grope along, to fumble in 
l.is undertakings! What a magnificent pro- 
gram he left as an inheritance to the priests 
of the mission and the Sisters of Charity! 
What an encouragement for every kind of 
charitable work! But how his life censures 
those selfish Christians discouraged by the 
evils of their times! Zealous for the truth 
because of his charity, St. Vincent fought 
uncompromisingly with Jansenism. He dis- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 319 

covered its poison more quickly than cele- 
brated doctors, not by erudition or syllogism, 
but by a Christian sense due to his humility 
and faith. On the other hand, he was much 
in favor of the reform instituted by the Ven. 
Fr. Sebastian Michaelis, O. P., realizing the 
happy influence of the truly supernatural 
religious life upon clergy and people (1660). 

Prayer — Deus, in adjutorium meum in- 
tende (Last words of St. Vincent de Paul). 

Practice — Imitate St. Vincent's voluntary 
slavery among the Turks, by heartily mak- 
ing yourself the servant of others in good 
works. 

JULY 20. 

Ven. Mary de Combe, T*, O. P. 

Mary had been brought up i^ the errors 
of Calvinism, but the sight of a priest re- 
spectfully carrying the Holy Viaticum made 
hr embrace the true faith. The promptness 
and generoity of her conversion immediately 
obtained for her exceptional graces. In her 
passionate love for poverty, she attired her- 
self in such a miserable woollen dress that 
people derided her. Our Lord called her 



320 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

to the Third Order, gave her St. Catherine 
of Siena for her mother, and confided to 
her care the foundation of a refuge for those 
unfortunate creatures who, like poor birds, 
strive to escape out of the claws of the vul- 
tures raving for their destruction. The 
house was called the ''Good Shepherd," a 
most appropriate name for the work, which 
has since become general throughout the 
world. A thousand contradictions assailed 
her from without; numberless trials and 
privations visited her within; but Providence 
worked miracles for her; and the foundress 
declared she would rather make room in the 
cellar than refuse a penitent of good-will. 
She died at the age of thirty-six. Around 
her deathbed the faithful repeated: "Won- 
derful is God in His saints" (1692). 

Prayer — Alas! unhappy man, I have lost 
the time which belongs to Thee, my God, 
in loving sin! (Bl. Henry Suso). 

Practice — When Holy Viaticum is carried 
to the sick follow the procession with faith, 
or at least make an interior act of adoration, 
and earnestly desire to receive It in time 
and with holy dispositions in your last illness. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 321 

JULY ai. 

St. Jerome Emilian. 

Jerome having been made prisoner in a 
war with the Germans, Mary, whom he in- 
voked in his distress, appeared to him, de- 
Hvered him and led him safe and sound 
through the enemy's army. In a remem- 
brance of this benefit he hung up the chains 
of his captivity before Our Lady's altar, and 
thenceforward lived but for God and the 
poor. He traversed the streets of Venice to 
gather together the children left orphans by 
pestilence and famine, made himself their 
father, .housed and fed them, but above all 
brought them up in the fear of God. On 
feast days he was careful to provide them 
with suitable recreation, and made them go 
in procession singing the Litany of Our 
Lady. He was the founder of the Clerks 
of Tomascha, whose object is the education 
of young clerics and orphans. Whilst tend- 
ing the plague-stricken, Jerome contracted 
the malady, of which he died at the age of 
fifty-five (1537). His religious celebrate 
with particular solemnity the feast of St. 
Peter Martyr, which was the day the holy 
founder and his first disciples made their 

21 



322 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

profession; likewise the feast of St. Pius V, 
who later on approved them as a religious 
Institute, showing them much affection and 
overwhelming them with favors. 

Prayer — O Mary, obtain for prisoners the 
grace of resignation! 

m 

Practice — If you have to deal with the 
ignorant or sinners, show them kindness 
rather than rigor, especially poor, rough, 
abandoned children. 



JULY 22. 

St. Mary Magdalene. 

There are to be found vague and deceptive 
sentiments of piety, m.ingled with natural 
sensibility and selfishness; they mean noth- 
ing, they produce nothing, but rather they 
deceive, because neither truth nor charity 
enters into them. On the other hand, there 
are feelings which we cannot define because 
they say too much, and are too full of God. 
Such were the feelings Mary Magdalene ex- 
pressed to Jesus by her silence, her look, 
her tears, in the Pharisee's house at Beth- 
any, at the tomb of Lazarus, on Calvary and 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 323 

after the Resurrection. The "Sainte Baume" 
in Provence was privileged to receive this 
great saint, and almost perceptibly preserves 
her spirit. Even were there not in attesta- 
tion of the fact an ancient and well founded 
tradition, confirmed in every century by the 
favors of the Church, it carries its own 
justification. It is impossible to explain to 
others or even to oneself, the impressions 
of this holy grotto; but everything about it 
is so beautiful and true, strong and sweet, 
sublime and practical; something is tasted 
of the better part chosen by Magdalene, and 
we feel the necessity, the attraction, the 
strength to lead a purer life, a life more 
detached from the world, closer to Jesus 
and more devoted to His glory. 

Pr^ayer — O good Jesus! I kiss Thy feet 
with the contrition and love of Magdalene! 

Practice — Pray that the Friars Preachers, 
the guardians of the sanctuary of St. Mary 
Magdalene, may everywhere carry out with 
fidelity and love the words of the Saviour: 
''Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached 
in the whole world, that also which she hath 
done shall be told for a memory of her." 



324 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JUIiY 23. 

Bl. Jane of Orvieto, V., O. P. 

Becoming an orphan at the age of five, 
instead of giving way to discouragement 
Jane showed her friends a picture of the 
Angel Guardian in the church, saying: 
"There is one who will be father and mother 
to me." It was, indeed, the angels who 
taught her the way of perfection. They 
especially inspired her with great love for 
the virtue which bears their name. One 
Christmas night they carried her to the 
stable at Bethlehem, where she found Jesus 
lying on the straw, stretching out His arms 
to her. Her fervor in meditation was so 
great that even in the depth of winter she 
was bathed in perspiration. She was often 
seen in ecstasy, her arms extended in the 
form of a cross; and the cracking of her 
bones showed to what a degree she partici- 
pated during that time in the sufferings of 
Jesus crucified. To insult her was a means 
of gaining her friendship. "If we are not 
ungrateful," she would then say, "how we 
may regale ourselves." Among the faithful 
who approached her remains some noticed 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 325 

a perfume of lilies, others that of violets, 
and others again that of aromatic herbs 
mingled together. It was the symbol and 
reward of her purity of body and the mani- 
fold perfections of her heart (1306). 

Prayer — Holy angels, enlighten and 
strengthen our souls. 

Practice — Have a profound respect for 
your angel guardian; teach children a short 
but devout prayer in his honor. 



JULY 24. 

St. Camillus of Xellis, C. 

After having been a soldier, Camillus twice 
took the Capuchin habit, and was twice 
obliged to abandon it. God had another 
mission for him, and willed to console by 
his example those who carefully follow the 
laws of prudence, but do not succeed in 
their praiseworthy trial of the religious life. 
He took refuge in a hospital, and seeing 
amongst the attendants nothing but discord 
and selfishness, he was inspired to found a 
Congregation entirely devoted to the service 
of the sick. His first companions were poor, 



326 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

but happy to suffer for Jesus Christ. They 
undertook, by a fourth vow, to serve even 
the plague-stricken. They were true moth- 
ers at the bedside of the sick, they were 
apostles, tending the body with a view to 
sanctifying the souls redeemed by the blood 
of a God. St. Camillus had a predilection 
for Dominican novices, whom he admitted 
to the recreations of his own novitiate, serv- 
ing them with his own hands, and sweetly 
exhorting them to purity of heart and perse- 
verance. While he assisted the dying, an 
angel was several times seen suggesting to 
him what to say. He died from the effects 
of five painful maladies which he called "the 
mercies of the Lord" (1614). 

Prayer — My God, grant that I may serve 
Thee in my neighbor, through love, and not 
from interest. 

Practice — When visiting the sick beg God 
to enlighten you in what you sa}^ to them; 
on entering say from the depths of your 
heart: ''Peace be to this house." 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 32 



o^ i 



JULY 25. 

St. James the Great, Apostle. 

St. James had left all, his net?, his home, 
his liberty, his father, to follow the Messiah. 
He was one of the three Apostles most 
loved by Our Lord, and whom He took as 
witnesses of some of the more intimate 
events of His life, as the Transfiguration and 
the Agony in the Garden of Olives. He 
was St. John's brother, and when their 
mother — led away by a too human affection — 
asked Jesus for the highest places in glory 
for her children, the Divine Master replied: 
''Can you drink the chalice I shall drink?" 
St. James is the great ' Apostle of Spain, 
where he founded, by Our Blessed Lady's 
wish, the celebrated sanctuary of Our Lady 
del Pilar. On his return to Jerusalem he 
was the first of all the Apostles to receive 
the crown of martyrdom. When going forth 
to death he cured a paralytic; this so im- 
pressed Josias, one of his persecutors, that 
he asked for and received baptism at the 
place of execution; both, after a mutual 
embrace, were beheaded. His body, accord- 
ing to tradition, is at Compostella. Many 
churches were built in the Apostle's honor, 



328 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

among others that of the Dominicans in 
Paris, hence their once popular name of 
Jacobins, given afterwards by abuse to the 
revohitionaries, who, after having expelled 
the religious from their cloister established 
therein their wicked assemblies (44;. 

Prayer — O Saviour of all! give us other 

Christs who will spend their lives for the 

salvation of the world (St. Catherine of 
Siena). 

Practice — Aspire to a high place in the way 
of self-renunciation. 



JULY 26. 

St. Anne, Mother of Our Blessed Lady, 

The life of St. Anne is shrouded in ob- 
scurity and silence. The legends Vv^hich de- 
scribe in detail not only the sadness and 
humiliation of her sterility, but the miracu- 
lous visit and promise of the angels, how- 
ever charming and edifying they may he, 
have little authoritative foundation. God 
has doubtless willed by this, to give mothers 
of families to understand that what He re- 
quires of them is daily devotedness. hidden, 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 329 

modest and courageous, to their domestic 
duties, whose importance is far greater than 
is generally supposed. But, as St. Anne is 
known by Mary, whom she nourished with 
her milk and carried in her arms, so' a truly 
virtuous Christian woman is known by her 
works, and glorifies God by the edification 
she gives. It may be said of her: "A holy 
and shamefaced woman is grace upon grace; 
as the sun when it riseth to the world * * * 
so is her beauty for the ornament of her 
house'* (Ecclus. xxvi) It has pleased God 
to entrust St. Anne's body to France, and 
it is preserved at Apt. This great saint is 
especially invoked to obtain the grace to 
appreciate worthily the many virtues of 
Mary, and to show her a solid devotion. 

Prayer — My God, give mothers of fam- 
ilies prudence in their undertakings, patience 
in their difficulties and consolation in their 
trials. 

Practice — Obey your superiors as Mary 
obeyed her mother, not only exactly but 
with good grace. 



330 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

eFUIiY 27. 

Bl. Augustine of Biella, C, O. P. 

The spirit of God inspired Bl. Augustine, 
from his entrance into religion, with such 
ardor for the science of the saints that in 
a short time he acquired a profound and 
experimental knowledge of divine things. It 
was accompanied by the gift of tears, espe- 
cially at the Divine Office and during the 
celebration of Holy Mass. Nearly all his 
time was spent in hearing confessions, spirit- 
ual direction and visiting the sick. He often 
cured them, and even once restored to life a 
child who had died without baptism. He 
likewise had such power over the devils, that 
the possessed who had not benefited by the 
exorcisms of the Church were delivered at 
his word. Just before he expired, the man 
of God, still full of energy, knelt down, 
and with his eyes fixed on heaven, his face 
radiant with joy, he said: ''Praise be to the 
Most High God, praise be to the Most High 
God." He was buried in the chapel of the 
Blessed Virgin where he had been accus- 
tomed to offer the Holy Sacrifice, and which 
he called "Our Lady of Paradise," thus 
showing how many graces and consolations 
he had there received through the interces- 
sion of the Queen of Heaven. His death 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 331 

took place in the convent of Venice to which 
he had succeeded in getting assigned, in 
order to escape the esteem shown him in 
his own country. 

Prayer — I confess, O eternal God, that 
Thou art an ocean, wherein souls live and 
are nourished! (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — During the "Te Deum" at the 
Office and at the ''Gloria Patri" of each 
psalm, unite yourself with the angels and 
saints. 



JULY 38. 

Bl. Antony della Chiesa, C, O. P. 

Bl. Antony's father was a noble lord 
of San Germano near Vercelli, and he op- 
posed his son's vocation, as but too often 
happens. He hnall}^ gave way, overcome 
by x\ntony's patience and tactful behavior. 
The young man became a model of sanctity 
in the convent; the most perverse could no,t 
approach him without becoming better, and 
no one ever left him with a sad heart. He 
often cured bodily ailments by his blessing, 
and in Florence he restored speech and 
hearing to a man who had been deaf and 
dumb from birth. Having been captured by 
pirates God miraculously delivered him that 



332 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

he might continue his labors for the salva- 
tion of souls. The interior of his convent 
was also a field of the apostolate to him. He 
was several times elected superior and in- 
troduced wise reforms in the observance of 
rule, but tempered with gentleness and hu- 
mility. Every time he retired from office 
he would raise his hands to heaven as a 
sign of joy; but at his reelection he would 
say sorrowfully: "Can it be that I am placed 
at the helm when I cannot even wield an 
oar?" He died at the age of sixty-five, 
after establishing the most edifying regu- 
larity in the convents of Savona, Coma, 
Florence and Bologna (1459). 

Prayer — My God, with what patience dost 
Thou wait for us, and with what indulgence 
receive us! (Bl. Henry Suso). 

Practice — Strive to win over difficult 
characters. 



JULY 29. 

St. Martha, Virgin. 



Martha was active, enterprising, careful, 
and given to exterior things. Our Lord, 
Who loved her ("diligibat Martham," says 
St. John), does not, in the Gospel blame her 
for what she did for Him; He teaches her 
to place those things which directly regard 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 333 



Govi and eternity above exterior works, and 
even in active labors, whether of obligation 
or of superogation, to avoid anxiety, pre- 
cipitation and undertaking too much. These 
things would be detrimental both to interior 
piety and the good works themselves. 
Hence these words of Jesus which concern 
all souls, and will profit them until the end 
of time: "One thing only is necessary." 
Martha, like a wise and prudent virgin, 
profited by the Divine lesson; peace grew 
in her soul without lessening her zeal. Ex- 
iled from Judea, thrust on board ship and 
miraculously guided to Provence, she was 
until the end, a model of the active life, as 
Magdalene was of the contemplative. Tar- 
ascoii was especially privileged to behold 
and admire her virtues. St. Maximin, 
Bishop of Aix, a disciple of Our Lord, came 
to see and console her at the hour of death, 
and received her last farewell for her be- 
loved sister Magdalene. Numerous confra- 
ternities and different religious congrega- 
tions have risen up under the patronage of 
St. Martha, especially those following the 
mixed life (First Century). 

Prayer — Thou, my God, art the one thing 
necessary; I choose Thee. 

Practice — Read the Gospel for the feast 
of St. Martha. 



334 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

JULY 30. 
Bl. Mannes, C, O. P. 

St. Dominic had two brothers: one named 
Antony, died in the odor of sanctity in a 
hospital, after having devoted his life to the 
service of the sick poor; the other, named 
Mannes, embraced the Order of Friars 
Preachers and made his profession at Prou- 
ille on the Feast of the Assumption, 1217. 
It is believed that he sojourned there a while 
as chaplain to the Sisters. He everywhv^re 
devoted himself to the progress of the 
Order and the salvation of souls, especially 
in Languedoc. He likewise helped in the 
foundation of the Convent of St. James in 
Paris. The merit of his preaching was not 
in the power of eloquence, but in a spirit of 
peace and of sweetness which, without effort, 
gave him an empire over souls. To his 
gentleness was joined a strength of soul 
which no danger could dismay, no work ex- 
haust. His preaching was powerfully as- 
sisted by prayer and penance. Our Holy 
Father St. Dominic, confided to his care the 
Sisters of the Second Order at Madrid, 
which convent he had founded on the model 
of Prouille, for Mannes knew from experi- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 335 

ence all the merit and charm of the enclosed 
life, and he has received the beautiful title 
of the "Comtemplative." He died in Spain 
at a very advanced age about 1234, and thus 
was able to celebrate the canonization of 
St. Dominic, his brother. 

Prayer — Blessed Mannes, pour out ^he 
spirit and piety of St. Dominic upon the 
monasteries of the Sisters. 

Practice — Prepare for the feast of St. 
Dominic by observing silence very exactly, 
and make a triduum of prayer. Give the 
same advice to those with whom you have 
influence. 

JULY 31. 

St. Ignatius Loyola, C. 

Before the foundation of his Order, Igna- 
tius was received, directed and consoled by 
the Dominicans of the Convent of Manresa. 
There he drew up the "Spiritual Exercises," 
which were later on defended against criti- 
cism and translated into French through the 
efforts of Father Matthew Ory, O. P. There, 
also, he had the visions of the mystery of 
the Blessed Trinity and of the Sacred Hu- 



336 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

manity in the Eucharist. The cell of this 
great servant of God, a true and perfect sol- 
dier, has been converted into a chapel. A 
good soldier has a passionate love for glory, 
so Ignatius chose for his motto: Ad majo- 
rem Dei gloriam. That he may the better 
procure it he sinks himself, he is ready 
for contempt, calumny and persecutions, 
they are his joy. Like the good soldier, he 
lays himself out to defend everywhere the 
honor of his Master. Like the good soldier, 
he attaches great importance to discipline; 
with it he utilizes the smallest resources, 
profits by the smallest circumstances, resists 
the most violent attacks and carries to a suc- 
cessful conclusion the most difficult under- 
takings (1556). Christian soldiers, arise, arm 
yourselves with faith, march together imita- 
ting the humility of Ignatius, his courage 
and prudence, and you will share in his 
victories. 

Prayer — My God, I seek my own glory too 
much, thine too little! 

Practice — Pray for the Society of Jesus 
and for the success of its works, especially 
for its missions to the heathen. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 337 

AUGUST 1. 

St. Peter's Chains. 

The Apostle St. Peter, on the eve of being 
put to death by Herod, fell asleep in his 
chains. But the Christians prayed God not 
to deprive the flock of him whom He had 
established as Chief Shepherd. During the 
night an angel appeared in the prison; at 
his word the chains fell from the Apostle's 
hands, and he was led through the soldiers 
to the city gate, which opened of itself. The 
Christians, who had not ceased to pray, saw 
before them still living the father whose 
death they had begun to regard as inevitable. 
The chain worn by St. Peter on this occa- 
sion was placed near that which later on 
bound him in Rome, and both joined to- 
gether so as to form one and the same 
chain. It is to be found in the Church of 
St; Peter's Chains, or ad vincula, served 
by the Canons Regular restored by St. 
Peter Fourrier. Some links have been de- 
tached and are venerated in different 
churches. There is a Confraternity of St. 
Peter's Chains. **Happy chains! You weave 
a crown of martyrdom for the great Apostle; 
and on touching him you become the sign 
of consecration rather than of condemna- 
tion" (St. Augustine). 

22 



338 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Prayer — If I desired solely the glory of 
Thy Name, my God, my heart would escape 
from my body (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Bl. Humbert recommends us to 
crush the chief of our temptations. You 
will succeed by combating your ruling pas- 
sion, which constitutes the most dangerous 
of your chains, though sometimes the most 
invisible and even the most loved. There- 
fore be faithful to the daily particular ex- 
amen on this fault, punishing yourself for 
your falls. 



AUGUST 2. 

Bl. Jane of Aza, Mother of the Patriarch 

St. Dominic. 

This noble and pious lady was the perfect 
model of Christian women in the world. 
After having fulfilled her duties towards 
God, her great solicitude was the religious 
education of her children and the good gov- 
ernment of her house. But since prudence, 
the spirit of order and self-abnegation in- 
crease time and resources, she found the 
means of assisting a good number of poor, 
regarding this work as her most pleasing 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 339 

recreation. God rewarded her charity by 
miraculously mutiplying the provision of 
wine she reserved for them. But, above all, 
He blessed her in her children, more espe- 
cially in St. Dominic, the Founder of the 
Order of Friars Preachers; many writers 
declare that he was sanctified even from his 
mother's womb. Bl. Jane was admirable 
for her humility, her contempt of the world 
and its vanities, her forbearance with the 
defects of others, her interior mortification, 
her justice and impartiality towards all, the 
prudence of her speech, and finally the kind- 
ness and good grace of her manner, espe- 
cially with the humble and lowly. She 
treated them with cordial attention, deeming 
their society more desirable than the society 
of a royal court. She died about 1205. 

Prayer — Bl. Jane, obtain for mothers 
of families the practical wisdom necessary to 
train their children. 

Examen — First, Have you formed a high 
idea of the virtues required for a life in the 
world? Have you a devotion to duty? Ac- 
complishing it with generosity and a great 
spirit of reHgion? 



340 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

AUGUST 3. 

Ven. Fr. Yves Maienc, B., O. P. 

Although Venerable Yves loved solitude, 
his eminent qualities often led the great ones 
of the earth to desire his presence among 
them, and he imparted to them the Christian 
spirit, without allowing himself in any way 
to be tainted with the spirit of the world: 
a rare thing in those who frequent the rich 
and the great. Thus he prudently assisted 
by his advice Anne of Brittany, Queen of 
France, and was, during the reigns of 
Charles VIIT, Louis XII and Francis I, the 
edification of the court. Hence his promo- 
tion to the see of Rennes, notwithstanding 
his resistance. Considering himself a debtor 
in the Gospel to all, especially to the lowly, 
he ever showed himself, particularly during 
the plague, full of heroic devotion to the 
poor, feeding them, catechising them and 
hearing their confessions himself. Father 
Sylvester of Ferrara, fortieth Master Gen- 
eral of the Order, on returning from a pil- 
grimage to the shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer 
at Vannes, died in the arms of the man of 
God. After the holy bishop's death several 
crosses were found engraved upon his 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 341 

breast. His body was interred in his cathe- 
dral, and was long the object of public ven- 
eration. It was lost during one of the revo- 
lutions, but his memory, honored by mir- 
acles, is still held in benediction (1541). 

Prayer — Grant, O Lord, that I may neither 
be exalted by prosperity nor cast down by 
adversity (St. Thomas Aquinas). 

Examen — Is your charity universal, ex- 
cluding no one, nor any kind of misery? If 
you have a preference, is it for the most 
repulsive misery, for the most disagreeable 
persons? 



AUGUST 4. 

Our Holy Father St. Dominic. 

Holy Father, good Father, our model and 
our glory! I admire and venerate you as a 
friend of God. You served Him in truth 
and charity. Truth was always on your lips, 
charity always in your heart. You showed 
your love of truth by saying to your com- 
panions: "May truth be above all things 
dear to you." You showed your esteem for 
charity by reciting every day a special 



342 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

prayer to obtain from God true charity. To 
defend the truth you have maintained in your 
Order a legion of doctors^ To practice char- 
ity, even to heroism, you have raised up an 
army of martyrs. From the height of 
heaven continue your work, O Father, show- 
ing yourself a Moses in meekness, a David 
in valor, a Solomon in wisdom, an Elias in 
burning zeal, a Jeremias in lamentations and 
sufferings. Yes, grant that your sons may 
ever pour out floods of light upon the 
Church, and that, if need be, after having 
exhausted their years and their strength in 
preaching to all, they may, in the ardor of 
their charity, shed all their blood for her 
(1221). 

Prayer — God of Truth! God of Love! Be 
Thou ever blessed for having given St. Dom- 
inic to the Church, and for calling us to be 
his children. 

Practice — Examine what is principally 
lacking to make you like St. Dominic. Is 
it the spirit of prayer? or of penance? or 
of poverty? or of zeal? or of joy? Is it 
the love of your cell and recollection, the 
avoidance of vain conversations, a horror of 
worldly news, the care not to go into the 
world from choice, under pretext of zeal. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 348 

AUGUST 5. 

Our Lady of the Snows. 

Under the pontificate of Liberius, a rich 
lord of Rome named John, deprived of the 
consolation of children, conceived the happy 
idea of coming to a mutual agreement with 
his wife to make the Blessed Virgin the 
heiress of their fortune. Mary, who always 
promptly, responds to the wishes of her de- 
vout clients, appeared to them, accepted the 
gift, and told them to build a church in her 
honor on the spot where they would find 
snow. The next day, notwithstanding the 
heat of August, snow lay on a part of 
the Esquiline. The pious couple, faithful to 
their promise, built there the beautiful basil- 
ica since called St. Mary Major, as being 
superior in dignity to all the other sanctu- 
aries of Mary. There is preserved, in a 
magnificent chapel on the Gospel side, the 
ancient picture of Mary, attributed to St. 
Luke. In another side chapel on the Epistle 
side, is venerated the Crib of the Infant 
Jesus, close to which rests the b dy of St. 
Pius V. The same great Pope attached the 
sons of St. Dominic to the service of the 
basilica as Apostolic Penitentiaries. They 



344 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

serve Mary, they serve souls; and nothing 
could be more in conformity with their voca- 
tion (306). 

Prayer — O my Queen and my Mother! I 
give myself entirely to thee as thine own 
possession — poor possession in itself, but 
thou canst make it rich and beautiful. 

Practice — Work for the glory of Mary as 
if you were to have no other reward than 
that of honoring her. Is not that enougfh 
for your heart? 



Lj-, llV^i . O-O iiWl, CXXCll. ^^JlV^VtjjJ 



AUGUST 6. 

The Transfiguration of Our Lord. 

This subject, considered from its exterior 
aspect, has produced one of the most won- 
derful pictures in the world. But much 
greater and more admirable is the significa- 
tion it has for souls as a symbol and a 
mystery. Read the account in the holy Gos- 
pel (S. Matt, xvii, 2-9) and make for your 
own profit three reflections. First, The 
event takes place on a mountain; if you 
wish to be transfigured give yourself to 
prayer, which is the elevation of the soul to 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 34." 



divine heights. Second, This transfiguration 
must embrace your whole being, first the 
interior, figured by the countenance of Jesus 
shining like the sun; then your exterior 
works, signified by His garments white as 
snow. Third, If you desire to attain to this 
glorious transfiguration without first sharing 
in the Passion of Jesus, He will rightly ob- 
serve of you as the Gospel does of St. Peter: 
"You know not what you say.'* Alas! do 
3^ou not merit this reproach by your aversion 
for even the lightest crosses? 

Prayer — Incomprehensible Abyss of God, 
no creature can contain Thee! 

Practice — Admire with St. Thomas the 
harmony of the works of Redemption. *'As 
the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity 
appear in the baptism of Jesus, which rep- 
resents the mystery of the first regeneration, 
so in the Transfiguration which represents 
the second regeneration (by glory), the 
whole Trinity appears anew: the Father in 
the voice, the Son in the Man-God, the Holy 
Ghost in the bright cloud." 



346 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

AUGUST 7. 

St. Cajetan, C. 

Consecrated to our Blessed Lady before 
his birth, Cajetan always had the tenderest 
love for her, and called Our Lord by no 
other title than that of Jesus, Son of Mary, 
saying that these two names were all his joy. 
Before celebrating Holy Mass he clothed 
his soul with Our Lady's merits, and at the 
consecration he begged her to give him anew 
the blessed fruit, of her womb. Guided in 
the way of perfection by Fr. John Baptist, a 
Dominican of Verona, he left his home and 
instituted the Order of Clerks Regular, 
called Theatins. They were destined to com- 
bat the recent heres}^ of Luther, which was 
already formidable, by encouraging the faith- 
ful to the use of frequent Communion, pre- 
pared for by a worthy reception of the sac- 
rament of penance; and by reanimating in 
the clergy a zeal for Divine worship and the 
love of poverty. His. religious were not 
even allowed to solicit alms, but were 
obliged to be satisfied with what was spon- 
taneously offered. Their first General Chap- 
ter was held at the Minerva. The ardor of 
St. Cajetan and his success in laboring for 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 347 

the salvation of his neighbor, won for him 
the title of "Hunter of Souls." He energet- 
ically assisted in the reform of the Domin- 
ican nuns at Naples, undertaken by the Ven. 
Mother Caraffa, sister of Pope Paul IV 
(1547). 

Prayer — Blessed Virgin Mary, clothe me 
with your interior dispositions, especially 
when I am to receive Holy Communion. 

Practice — Examine your love of the litur- 
gical ofifices, and see if you strive to obtain 
instruction that you may profit by them. 
On the contrary, do you not speak of them 
with little esteem and reverence? 



AUGUST 8. 

Bl. Augustine of Iiucera, C, B., O. P. 

Bl. Augusti^ie was born of a noble 
family at Trau in Dalmatia, and had St. 
Thomas Aquinas for his master in the Uni- 
versity of Paris. Under his guidance he 
made rapid progress in science and perfec- 
tion. To draw down the blessing of God on 
his preaching, he "often spent whole nights 
in prayer, and he loved to repeat the maxim 
of St. Augustine: "Recte novit vivere, qui 



348 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

recte novit arare" — "He lives well who 
prays well." His abstinence was also very 
remarkable; one day his prior thinking it 
necessary for him to eat meat, the holy man 
prayed to God with such fervor that the 
bird served at table flew away, restored by 
miracle to life and liberty. Promoted to 
the See of Agram in Croatia, and then to 
Lucera (or Nocera dei Pagani), in Italy, he 
continued to practice the abstinence of the 
Order, making his canonical visitations on 
foot. Little by little, the errors introduced 
into his diocese by the Mahometans disap- 
peared, thanks to his strong, gentle and 
patient influence. To place this happy result 
under an assured safeguard, he desired that 
his town of Lucera should be called St. 
Mary. His gift of miracles was such that 
Pope John XXII on one day giving him his 
hand to kiss, was immediately cured of an 
acute pain. He is especially invoked on 
behalf of those obsessed by evil spirits 
(About 1323). 

Prayer — I acknowledge, my God, that I 
do not sufflciently rely upon prayer. 

Practice — Consider that prayer is a cry of 
the heart, so that to cry is to pray. Do you 
practice this in your prayer? Do you make 
it with humility, constancy and confidence? 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 349 

AUGUST 9. 

Bl. John of Salerno, C, O. P. 

Having gone to Bologna to study at the 
university, Bl. John met St. Dominic, who 
showed him much affection, won him to the 
Order, gave him the habit with his own 
hands and then sent him to Florence. There 
he especially devoted himself to the daily in- 
struction of the poor, and led back to the 
way of salvation many souls who had gone 
astray, rather from ignorance than from mal- 
ice. The fervor of his devotion and his 
exact observance of the smallest ceremonies 
were remarkable, particularly when cele- 
brating the Holy Mysteries. He combated 
the heresy of the Patarins, who declared that 
the "Pater" should be the only prayer used. 
The devil himself, through the mouth of a 
possessed person, praised his chasity. Bl. 
John, like a devoted and grateful son, as- 
sisted St. Dominic in his last moments. 
Later, he founded a convent of Dominican 
nuns, and by order of the Holy See reformed 
the monks of St. Anthimus. When dying he 
exhorted his brethren to the faithful ob- 
servance of their religious vows. Indeed, 
the angels will present the departed relig 



350 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

ious with the act of his profession, and it 
will be to his confusion, if, by misfortune, 
he should have been tepid and unfaithful, 
but for his glory and consolation, if, by his 
fidelity, he has merited the joys of Heaven. 

Prayer — St. Dominic, assist me at the 
hour of my death. 

Practice — Contribute to some good work 
for the benefit of working men' When you 
see vices among them pity their ignorance, 
do not condemn them; rather hope and 
pray that trials may bring them back to 
Christian principles. 



AUGUST 10. 

St. Laurence, Martyr. 

Strengthened by the Holy Spirit, Whom 
he had received in the Diaconate, Laurence 
coveted the palm of martyrdom, and said to 
the Pope, St. Sixtus, whose archdeacon he 
was: ^'Whither goest thou, Father, without 
thy son, minister of God, without thy dea- 
con?" "My son," replied the Pontiff, "I do 
not abandon thee, but thou art younger than 
I and greater combats await thee." He 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 351 

was taken and martyred on a gridiron. St. 
Augustine speaks with enthusiasm of his 
magnanimous courage. "His example," he 
says, ''urges us to martyrdom; he inflames 
us with devotion; and if our body is not 
delivered to the flames of the tyrant, our 
heart must be filled with the fire of faith." 
St. Thomas Aquinas in his turn, praises St. 
Laurence as having attained to the perfec- 
tion of charity, not merely being content to 
suffer martyrdom but going to meet it 
''promptly, with delight, and even manifest- 
ing joy in the midst of torments." He had 
a worthy imitator in the Ven. Father Lau- 
rence Rembrauvie, a Pole, who for refuting 
the Protestants at Cracow, was thrown down 
a staircase and died a martyr. But the 
other religious, encouraged by his example, 
redoubled their zeal in defense of the faith, 
and thanks- to them Catholicism has been 
maintained in the country (258). 

Prayer — I thank Thee, my God, that Thou 
deignest to open unto me the gates of 
Heaven (St. Laurence). 

Examen — In difficulties do you not draw 
back through cowardice? Do you not delay 
by indifference? Do you not complain on 
all occasions^ Do you rejoice as a good 
soldier of Jesus Christ? 



352 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

AUGUST 11. 

Octave of St. Dominic. 

Blessed Father! I salute you as the friend 
of men, as the Church styles you in her lit- 
urgy. Even during your mortal life you pos- 
sessed the power of imparting virtue; grace 
was poured forth from your lips; your eyes 
shone with a sweet yet majestic brilliancy; 
and the simplicity of your conversation com- 
pleted the conquest of all hearts. Since your 
death you have been loved by those who 
have left all to follow you, and to whom* all 
your observances are sweet, because you 
were the first to carry them out with fervor. 
You are loved by all the Sisters, who in 
numberless different ways, continue your life 
of contemplation and your apostolic works. 
You are loved by those, who even in the 
world, secretly wear your livery and gener- 
ously follow your counsels. You are loved 
by many of the faithful, who relish your 
spirit, feeling at home in your method of 
piety, and who, thanks to you, willingly en- 
ter upon the path of sacrifice. Whence 
comes this peaceful and indestructible em- 
pire, oh, Dominic? Ah! it is because Jesus, 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 353 
t 

your great master and your intimate Friend, 
has communicated to you a ray of His light, 
and Mary your sweet Mother has bequeathed 
to you the tenderness of her heart. 

Prayer — St. Dominic, grant that I may 
make piety pleasing to all, but especially to 
those who are prejudiced against the Cath- 
olic Faith. 

Practice — Read something from the life of 
St. Dominic, or recite his litany. 



AUGUST 12. 

St. Clare, Virgin. 

God willed this noble daughter of Assisi 
to be called Clare because she was to light 
up the world of souls. And in truth, her 
life and the life of the Poor Clares, founded 
by her, under the direction of St. Francis 
of Assisi, casts a bright light on the nothing- 
ness of earthty things. A light which is 
likewise persuasive, since it shows us in the 
most rigid poverty, in coarse garments and 
the absence of all certain revenues, not only 
a praiseworthy virtue, but ineffable delight. 

23 



354 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

TJie title of Poor Ladies given to the Poor 
Clares was therefore not a vain name; and 
Clare was so anxious to merit it, that when 
Pope Gregory IX, appalled at such rigor, 
offered to mitigate the Rule, she spoke so 
modestly, strongly and persuasively, that he 
withdrew his proposal and could only ad- 
mire such an austere life. Later on, St. Col- 
ette instituted a reform in France, having 
for its object the revival of the primitive 
spirit. Pope Benedict XIII, under whose 
pontificate she lived, supported her with his 
authority, and cried out: "Why am I not 
worthy to beg the bread needful for this 
religious?" She enjoyed a familiar friend- 
ship with St. Vincent Ferrer and had the 
benefit of his guidance (1447). 

Prayer — O holy Poverty! thou givest 
precious goods to those who embrace thee, 
and a life exempt from all anxiety CSt. 
ClareJ. 

Practice— In the choice of temporal things 
prefer the poorest, the least pleasing to the 
eye; and when something is wanting bless 
pod for the honor He shows you in making 
you like His Son. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 355 

AUGUST 13. . . 

Ven. Fr. Lewis of Granada, C, O. P. 

Lewis, of Granada is esteemed throughout 
the whole Church for his spiritual writings; 
St. Francis de Sales in particular thought 
very highly of them. They combine a piety 
and simplicity which m.akes them accessible 
to all. a great solidity of doctrine, acquired 
by long study of the Greek and Latin Fath- 
ers, of historians and orators, in fine, of all 
that his age knew of learned antiquity. In 
the Order he is chiefly venerated for his vir- 
tues, especially for his humility. When Pro- 
vincial, he delighted to relate that in the 
world he had been so poor as to-be obliged 
to beg barefoot. On one occasion when he 
was preaching in a large church, his audi- 
ence was disturbed by a poor woman, whom 
some tried to prevent from obtaining a seat. 
*'Let her pass," he cried, "it, is my good 
mother." Gregory XIII congratulated him 
on his writings by an apostolic letter, and 
Sixtus V in vain tried to induce him to ac- 
cept the cardinalate. He lived to the age 
of eighty-four, passing the greater part of 
his nights in meditation and prayer, while 
he spent his days in study, writing, preaching 



356 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

and hearing confessions. He, therefore, 
truly died in the breach, arms in hand, like a 
true Friar Preacher (1588). 

Prayer — O humility! If thou wert under- 
stood, all would strive for the happiness of 
possessing thee. 

Examen — In what terms do you speak of 
your family and acquaintance? Do you not 
love to relate what causes you to be 
esteemed? Do you not exaggerate? Do 
you not try to hide what would mortify your 
self-love? 



AUGUST 14. 

Ven. Fr. Antony Leguieu, C, O. P. 

The Ven. Antony was accustomed to say: 
"The child of St. Dominic who does not 
strive to imitate his Father will one day 
merit his reprobation. Let us be his imi- 
tators, that we may be his companions in 
glory." He founded several convents, in- 
tended to evangelize country districts, and 
dedicated them all to Our Lady. According 
to his plan, each house contained but a small 
number of Friars, so it was not possible to 
give the choral offices all their solemnity, in- 
stead greater care was given to, and a longer 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 357 

time spent in, mental prayer. Wherever An- 
tony went he inspired a love for the holy 
Rosary, which he one day recited (as he 
himself declares) eighty times. Illustrious 
members of the Church of France, knowing 
him to be as enlightened as he was virtuous, 
placed themselves under his direction. This 
venerable Father foresaw the important 
place perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sac- 
rament was to take in the Church. He, 
therefore, instituted for this end, the Con- 
gregation of Sacramentines, the members of 
which also apply themselves to the education 
of children. Bossuet called him "a very 
holy, very humble, and very mortified relig- 
ious,'' giving it to be understood that he had 
heard predictions from him justified later by 
events. As he was much afflicted on ac- 
count of the slow growth of his Congrega- 
tion, Our Lord said to him: "Am I not more 
to thee than a hundred convents?" (1616). 

Prayer — O my God! T am often mistaken 
even in wishing for that which is good! For 
I wish it without prudence, without humility 
and without detachment from self (Ven. Fr. 
Antony). 

Practice — Meditate on this sentence of 
Ven. Fr. Antony: "The hours of the diligent 
are worth years. The years of the idle are 

not worth hours." 



358 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

AUGUST 15. 

The Assumption. 

Mary's Assumption adds a wonderful 
splendor to the city of the saints; all re- 
joice in her triumph and proclaim her their 
Queen. The Patriarchs and Prophets of the 
Old Law, who foresaw her in the light of 
revelation, never tire of contemplating her, 
so much does her glory surpass all their con- 
ceptions. The Apostles and disciples feel 
immense joy on seeing her once again, and 
at last understand the interior beauty, which 
her humility had prevented them from per- 
ceiving clearly. Finally all the saints, mar- 
tyrs, confessors and virgins who have since 
successively entered heaven, proclaim her as 
Queen, and offer her their own crowns. But 
what shall we say of the welcome given her 
on the day of her Assumption by Jesus, her 
Son? Even here below, the devotion of holy 
souls to the mystery of the Assumption has 
always been great. St. Stanislas Kostka de- 
sired to die on the eve of the feast, and he 
obtained his desire; St. Stephen, king, died 
on the day itself; St. Philip Benizi on the 
octave day. The Feast of the Assumption, 
1217, was chosen by St. Dominic as the sol- 
emn profession day of his first disciples at 
Prouiile. Thence he sent them forth into 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 359 

the world, to produce, like good grain, 
abundant fruits of faith, poverty, humility 
and charity. 

Prayer — Queen of Saints, pray for us. 

Practice — Offer fifteen acts of virtue in 
honor of Mary's triumph. 



AUGUST 16. 

St. Hyacinth. 

Providence led Hyacinth, as if by chance, 
to Rome, where he met and loved St. Dom- 
inic. What an incomparable grace to en- 
counter a saint! On receiving the habit 
from the holy Patriarch, Hyacinth received 
his spirit, and in six months became one of 
the firmest supports of the rising Order. 
Who could recount his work, his journeys, 
his miracles and the conversions he worked 
among the infidels? His steps might be 
traced by counting the convents and 
churches he left where he passed; the first 
he erected was dedicated to the Most Holy 
Trinity. Cracow, Prague, Moravia, Prussia, 
Pomerania, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, 
Gothland, Scotland. Livonia, Russia, Con- 
stantinople, Thibet, Northern China, re- 
ceived each in turn the benefits of his apes- 



360 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

tolate. How wonderful it was to see him 
cross great rivers dry-shod, now to over- 
throw idols, at another time to save the 
Blessed Sacrament with one hand, and the 
statue of Mary with another! How dear he 
must have been to the Queen of Heaven, 
since she said to him: "Rejoice, Hyacinth, 
my son, for all that thou askest my Son 
through my intercession will be granted 
thee." Since his entrance into glory his 
pravers have raised forty dead persons to 
life' (1251) 

Prayer — St. Hyacinth, protect Poland and 
all persecuted countries. 

Practice — In dif^cult acts of obedience 
never hesitate. God will give you strength; 
the less successful you are the more He 
will bless you. 

AUGUST 17. 

Bl. Thomas De, Martyr, T., O. P. 

Thomas De, an Annamite Christian em- 
braced the Third Order of St. Dominic in 
order to progress more rapidly in virtue. 
On June 20, 1838, the satellites of the cruel 
Minh-Manh invaded his village to make the 
Christians apostatize by force; but he re- 
mained in his home unwilling to expose him- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 361 

self to danger of his own accord. Discov- 
ered in his horne he was forthwith led to 
prison. There, to obtain from God con- 
stancy in the faith, he added fasting and 
other mortifications to the sufferings of his 
dungeon. What he received from the char- 
ity of the Christians he shared with the 
other prisoners or sent to the poor. By his 
example and natural good grace he made 
his prison a field of apostolic labor. Through 
his efforts a hundred pagans received bap- 
tism. He, on his part, sighed after the 
grace of profession, and he obtained leave 
to make it in writing, to the administrator 
of the district. In her letter he asks pardon 
for not being always able, in his captivity, to 
observe the abstinence of the Third Order. 
Commanded to tread the cross under foot, 
he replied in the language of the educated, 
with such correctness as to astonish the 
judge: "I respectfully salute the Governor, 
but I am resolved rather to die than to 
oftend God, my Master." On another occa- 
sion, when leaving the tribunal he met his 
wife, and said to her: "Return home; bring 
up our children in a Christian manner. I 
shall never see them again in this world, but 
I have offered you and them to God." He 
was condemned to be strangled. The execu- 
tioners, not satisfied with carrying out the 
sentence and burning his feet to m.ake sure 



362 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

of his death, scourged his inanimate body 
with a ferocity worthy of cannibals (Dec. 
19, 1839). 

Prayer — Jesus, give me faith working by 
charity. 

Practice — Recite the ''Credo" with fervor. 



AUGUST 18. 

St. Rocli, Confessor. 

Despising all dignities, Roch sold his pos- 
sessions, gave the price to the poor, and 
made his way as a pilgrim to Rome. 
Whilst passing through different. Italian 
cities where the plague was raging, he cured 
many sick by the sign of the cross. Afflicted 
with a painful wound, he lay for some time 
at the foot of a tree without assistance. 
But the same Providence which had succored 
the prophet by a crow, sent a dog to bring 
him food. On his return to his native town, 
Montpellier, his fellow citizens took him for 
a spy, imprisoned and ill-treated him for 
five years. He died unknown, shrouded in 
his humility, but visited by angels. Soon 
after his death he became known in the 
Church as the refuge of the plague-stricken. 
In our days he has found a worthy imitator 
in Fr. Gregory Rocco, O. P., the apostle of 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 363 

Naples, who led to God the poor, the 
lazzaroni, sinners, gamblers and actors. At 
the height of an epidemic, he so successfully 
organized means of assistance that many 
sufferers were helped to die well, others 
were completely cured, and soon, thanks to 
fervent public pravers, the contagion ceased 
(1782), 

Prayer — Thou reservest the most severe 
trials, Lord, for those especially dear to 
Thee, and for those to whom Thou hast 
given the care of others. Thus do they 
learn to be merciful (Bl. Henry Suso). 

Practice — Suffer in silence when falsely ac- 
cused. It is either a just punishment or a 
great favor from God. 



AUGUST 19. 

St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori, C, B., D. 

St. Alphonsus was the founder of the Con- 
gregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, and 
his religious, anxious to justify their name, 
everywhere devote themselves to the salva- 
tion of souls, and particularly to missions 
in abandoned country districts. He used to 
say: "I may have to render an account of 
everything else, but not of striving after 
effect in my sermons; I have always 



364 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

preached in such a way that the most igno- 
rant woman might be able to understand 
me." His spiritual works are remarkable 
for their doctrine, piety and opportuneness; 
for he wrote from the practical experience 
he had acquired of the needs of the Church 
and the wounds of society. Obliged to ac- 
cept the episcopate, he was consecrated, at 
his own request, in the sanctuary of the 
Minerva at Rome. He showed great zeal 
in preaching the devotion of the Rosary, 
both by word and example.- He also helped 
to popularize the practice of daily visits to 
the Blessed Sacrament. Tormented by 
scruples which were destined to purify and 
sanctify him yet more, he showed a child- 
like obedience to his directors. Mary was 
his help and consolation from his childhood 
even to his last sigh. He died at the age 
of ninety (1787). 

Prayer — How beautiful will be the sight 
of Mary in heaven! Which of us will have 
the happiness of dying on one of Our Lady's 
feasts? (St. Alphonsus). 

Practice; Examen — Do you regularly make 
a visit to the Blessed Sacrament? What acts 
do you elicit? What means do you take to 
combat distractions? Do you know how to 
observe interior silence in order to listen to 
the voice of grace? 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. S65 

AUGUST 30. 

St. Bernard, C. D. 

At the age of twenty God called St. Ber- 
nard to leave the home of his ancestors and 
to bury himself in a wild valley, that, like 
the grain of wheat which falls into the earth 
and dies, he might bring forth fruit a hun- 
dredfold. Soon the blade sprang up; its 
fruit was a saint, the restorer of monastic 
life, the apostle of his family, the propagator 
of the ecclesiastical spirit, the censor of 
* princes, the preceptor of Popes, the preacher 
of crusades and the Doctor of the Church. 
Although his devotion to Jesus and Mary 
was so tender, yet he showed himself vigi- 
lant, vehement and unbending towards error; 
towards that of Abelard and Arnold of 
Brecia, v/ho revived in some sort the false 
doctrines of Arius and Pelagius, and towards 
that of Bishop Gilbert, who attempted to 
reconcile the mysteries of faith with natural 
principles. As to his letters and spiritual 
writings, we find therein the most ardent 
and beautiful sentiments of the human heart, 
united with profound and elevated super- 
natural doctrine, enamelled, as it were, by a 
marvellous use of the Holy Scripture. It 



366 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

is our own language and God's; it charms 
and renews us. France, rightly and with just 
pride, counts St. Bernard amongst the flower 
of her knights, her orators and her saints 

(1153). 

I>r.^ ■ • ■■. ' - ■ 

, (Prayer^ — May the nakedness of my last 

hour be covered by the vows and prayers 

of my brethren (St. Bernard's dying words). 

Practice— When assisting at the beautiful 
ceremony of the **Salve Regina" in Dom.in- 
ican churches, unite in spirit with the senti- 
ments of St. Bernard. 



Hi 









AXJGUST 21. 
St. Jane de Chantal. 



«;,<St. Jane ever showed herself possessed of 
an energetic and magnanimous soul At the 
age of five she threw the presents of a Cal- 
Vinist-into the fire, saying: "Thus will all 
heretics burn in heli." As a young girl she 
held all worldly pleasures in horror. After 
her marriage she took the resolution never 
to refuse an alms to any one who asked in 
the name of Jesus Christ. Her husband was 
accidentlly killed while hunting, and to over- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 307 

come her feelings, she stood godmother to 
the child of the man who had caused his 
death. In order to enter religion she did 
not hesitate to step over the body of her 
son; and to the three usual vows, she added 
that of always doing what she believed to 
be most perfect. Heaven gave her St. Fran- 
cis de Sales to regulate and soften her ener- 
getic character by imparting to her his wis- 
dom and meekness. From this happy com- 
bination sprang the Order of the Visitation, 
destined to make the religious life accessible 
to persons of delicate health. The applica- 
tion to obedience, to humility, to simplicity 
and evenness of character, serves as means 
of perfection, as abstinence and rigid pov- 
erty do in other Orders. St. Chantal had a 
great devotion to St. Mary Magdalene and 
to satisfy it made a pilgrimage to the Sainte 
Baume. 

Prayer— Jesus Christ has said that if we 
seek the Kingdom of God, He will give us 
all the rest. I believe it and I trust Him. 

Practice — Pray for the nuns of the Visita- 
tion and for their pupils. 



368 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

AUGUST 22. 
Ven. Sister Mary of St. Anne. 

During a sermon on St. Mary Magdalene, 
Mary suddenly received the grace of conver- 
sion and a perfect transformation of char- 
acter. Her heart, naturally clinging and 
drawn to sensible affections, became per- 
fectly free, and a certain sense of the pres- 
ence of God accompanied her everywhere, 
assisting her even in external works. Her 
devotion to Our Blessed Lady, which was 
as strong as it was tender, enkindled within 
her a great love of the cross, which she reg- 
ulated by the ten following commandments: 

I. Thou shalt abhor pleasures and firmly 
reject them. 

n. Thou shalt crucify thy flesh and thy 
spirit. 

HI. Thou shalt not avoid nor fly from 
any trial. 

IV. Thou shalt never receive the cross 
without devoutly kissing it. 

V. Thou shalt only desire to live that 
thou mayest suffer. 

VI. Until death thou shalt not cease to 
suffer willingly. 

VII. Never think thou sufferest much, 
however greatly thou mayest suffer. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 369 

VIII. Thou shalt suffer all things, and 
all indifferently. 

IX. In suffering thou shalt never be 
afflicted at wanting consolation. 

X. Thou shalt sanctify thy crosses by 
bearing them joyfully. 

She generously followed this decalogue 
until her death, which took place at the age 
of seventy-eight (1681). 

Prayer — Queen of Saints, remember that 
thou art the hope of exiles. 

Practice — During the day, imagine that 
Mary is looking at you and saying: *'Cour- 
age! I am with thee." 



AUGUST 23. 

BL James of Mevania, C, O. P. 

Bl. James was born on the same day 
as St. Thomas Aquinas and Blessed Ambrose 
of Siena. From his novitiate God granted 
him the gift of miracles. When superiors 
appointed him to the ministry of preaching, 
he attacked the Nicolaite heresy, which 
denied the Divinity of Christ and caused 
great corruption of morals; he brought it 

21 



370 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

to nought, and induced its leader to make a 
public abjuration. He loved all religious in- 
stitutes, for altogether they reproduce on 
earth the different perfections of God; and 
he founded in his native town, after a con- 
vent of the Order, a Benedictine monastery.. 
In the midst of all these graces and good 
works the fear of being lost much tormented 
him. But, oh, the tenderness of Divine 
goodness! His crucifix rained down blood, 
and he heard these words: ''Let this blood 
be the sign of thy salvation." Confidence 
succeeded fear, and he repeated with St. 
Paul: *'I desire to be dissolved and to be 
with Christ" (Phil, i, 23). Jesus, Mary, St. 
George and the Patriarch St. Dominic as- 
sisted at his death, and while those around 
recited the prayers for the recommendation 
of the departing soul, a voice was heard 
saying: "Instead of praying for him, it is he 
who should pray for you" (1301). 

Prayer — O Cross of my Jesus! thou art 
my refuge in my interior trials. 

Practice— Meditate on these words of God 
to St. Catherine of Siena: "The blood of 
Jesus is the source of all good; it saves and 
perfects every man who prepares himself to 
receive it; it gives grace, more or less abun- 
dantly according to the dispositions of the 
soul. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 371 

"" . . AUGUST 24. 

St. Bartholomew, Apostle. 

St. Bartholomew first preached Jesus and 
His Gospel in Arabia, and then in India 
and Ethiopia, God giving him the grace to 
speak the different languages of all these 
countries. He next carried the Gospel into 
greater Armenia, where he worked numer- 
ous miracles and gained striking victories 
over hell. Amongst others, he forced a 
devil who was being adored as the true 
God, to confess his deception in public. At 
this revelation, the king and people unde- 
ceived, embraced the faith; but the anger 
of the priests of the idols led them to 
prejudice the king's brother against the 
saint; he was flayed alive and then beheaded 
(52). The pagans placed his relics in a 
leaden coffer, which they threw into the 
sea, saying: "Henceforth thou shalt no 
longer deceive the people," but the coft'er 
floated to the coast of the island of Lipari. 
These precious relics are now in Rome, 
on an island of the Tiber, where the people 
surround them with great veneration. 

The name of the holy apostle was gli3- 
riously borne by the Ven. Bartholomew of 



372 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

the Martyrs and the Ven. Father Bartholo- 
mew Texier, Provincal, twenty-fifth General 
of the Order, a man of great meekness, 
prudent in the management of business, 
zealous for regular life, the intimate friend 
of Blessed Andrew Abellon, and renowned 
for miracles, as the ancient chronicles attest. 

Prayer — Lord Jesus, give me victory over 
the evil one. 

Practice — ^To-day, devote your prayers and 
the merit of your good works to the salva- 
tion of the countries evangelized by St. 
Bartholomew. 



AUGUST 25. 

St. Louis, King of France. 

The Christian spirit which St. Louis had 
received from his mother, Blanche of Cas- 
tile, was the soul of his whole life. If he 
showed himself the arbiter of justice beneath 
the oak of Vincennes, the defender of the 
rights of God in his laws against blasphem- 
ers, the nursing father of the poor and 
afflicted, intrepid upon the battle-field and 
even greater in chains, it was because the 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 373 

light of faith shone before him, and was his 
strength in work and his consolation in 
reverses. Justly, therefore, is he called "the 
Mirror off Kings." In the midst of his 
labors he found time to recite the Divine 
Office daily; every Saturday he secretly 
gathered together a number of poor per- 
sons, washed and kissed their feet, and 
graciously bestowed alms upon them. He 
was the special benefactor of the Friars 
Minors and the Friars Preachers, and he 
would have wished to divide his heart be- 
tween them (1270). The Dominicans were 
very active in the cause of his canonization, 
and Father Antony Duplat of the Convent 
of Toulouse composed his office. Out of 
gratitude for this zeal the kings of France 
built and encircled the celebrated monastery 
at Poissy, where St. Louis had been bap- 
tized. The words his pious mother so often 
said to him in his childhood are well known: 
"My son, I would rather see you in your 
grave than stained with a single mortal sin." 

Prayer — My God, pour forth Thy spirit 
upon those who govern us. 

Practice — When you hear any blasphemy 
recite the Gloria Patri in reparation. 



374 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

AUGUST 26. 

St. Philip Benizi, C. 

St. Philip, while studying in Paris, already 
began to labor like an. apostle for the con- 
version of his fellow students. Learning 
by revelation that God willed him to enter 
the Servite Order, he, out of humility, asked 
for the habit of a lay-brother. But two 
Dominicans meeting him on a journey, dis- 
covered the hidden treasures of wisdom he 
possessed, and acquainted his superiors with 
their discovery. He was, therefore, com- 
pelled to receive Holy Orders and give him- 
self to the sacred ministry, which he exer- 
cised with marvellous fruit. He did so 
much for the organization of his Order, 
that he is regarded as another founder; to 
his piety is due the adoption of the black 
scapular as the distinctive mark of the Con- 
fraternity of Our Lady of Sorrows. Know- 
ing that he was likely to be elected Pope, 
he hid himself until the election of Gregory 
X. In his last illness, as a preparation for 
death, he paraphrased the Miserere, which he 
applied to himself as to a very great sinner. 
The devil sought to exploit his wonderful 
humility and violently tempted him to de- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 375 

spair; but Jesus and Mary helped him to 
conquer. At the point of death he asked 
for his book; he meant his crucifix, which 
he continued to kiss with loving confidence. 
Benedict XIII, O. P., published the bull of 
his canonization (1285). 

Prayer — Let us make use of the arms 
Our Lord has placed in our hands; absti- 
nence, humility, patience and especially char- 
ity, the queen of all virtues (St. Philip Benizi). 

Practice — Meditate on the Seven Sorrows 
of Our Blessed Lady, especially upon the 
flight, and exile in Egypt. 



AUGUST 37. 

St. Joseph Calasanctius. 

St. Joseph, whilst yet a child, would 
gather his young companions together and 
teach them prayers and the catechism. x\fter 
his ordination he went to Rome, there, 
carrying out to the letter the words of the 
Psalmist: "In day time the Lord hath com- 
manded His mercy, and a canticle to Him 
in the night" (Ps. XLI-9). He acquired the 
habit of visiting, almost nightly, the Seven 



376 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Basilicas. During the day he devoted him- 
self to the care of the plague-stricken, carry- 
ing on his shoulders, the dead to their last 
resting place. He founded the Congrega- 
tion of the Pious Schools for the education 
of youth; for it grieved him greatly to see 
children leading a vagabond life, with the 
connivance of their parents, under the pre- 
text of obtaining food. His trials were such 
that he has been compared to holy Job. 
He had thought of making over his work 
to the Order of St. Dominic; the parish 
priest of the Minerva, after joining with him 
in prayer, advised him to continue it him- 
self. At the age of ninety-two God called 
him from this world. The envy of men had 
obtained his deposition from the office of 
superior; his work was nearly ruined, but 
he predicted its restoration and progress 
(1648). The General Chapter of Rome in 
1694 earnestly recommended our brethren to 
protect his institute, since it had merited 
well of the Order and especially of the 
School of St. Thomas Aquinas. 

Prayer — Great Saint, give for the training 
of youth Christian masters, who will sup- 
port without discouragement the trials and 
difficulties of their vocation. 

Practice — Show an interest in some poor 
person. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 377 

AUGUST 38. 

St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor. 

Whilst instructing the Universal Church 
as a Doctor, Augustine gave his people 
of Hippo all the care of a good mother. 
In order the better to teach the sailors, he 
did not blush-celebrated professor of elo- 
quence though he had been — to imitate their 
manner of speaking, to the detriment of 
grammar. During public calamities he in- 
duced every one to pray, and give large 
alms; he discouraged excessive sorrow over 
the Christian victims of the barbarians, say- 
ing God had delievered them from tribula- 
tions to give them a better life. When his 
episcopal city was besieged in its turn by 
the Vandals, he begged God either to de- 
liver it, or to take him out of the world be- 
fore its fall; the latter grace was accorded 
him. On the wall of his refectory he had 
the following sentence inscribed: 

"To you who offend 'gainst the absent by 

word 
Away from my table, where none such are 

heard." 

St. Dominic chose the Rule of St. Au- 
gustine for the Order of Friars Preachers, 
as *'a hospitable frame," (P. Lacordaire) 
whose broad lines and ecclesiastical spirit 



378 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

lent itself admirably to his own legislation, 
wherein the practice of monastic observ- 
ances was more accentuated. The close 
connection between the doctrines of St. 
Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas is well 
known; the latter saint was several times 
miraculously visited, enlightened and praised 
by the Doctor of Hippo. ''The City of God" 
is Augustine's finest work (430). 

Prayer — It is good to find the way which 
leads to the city of peace and on the way 
a guide capable of directing and defending 
you against the evil doers who would stop 
you (St. Augustine). 

Practice — Make use of the counsels of St. 
Augustine in the midst of present anxieties 
and misfortunes. 

AUGUST 29. 

St. Sabina, M. 

Sabina, noble by birth, was converted to 
the faith by Seraphia her slave, who after- 
wards became her friend, sister and helper 
in all works of charity. Seraphia having 
been beheaded for Jesus Christ, under 
Hadrian, Sabina reverently buried her re- 
mains. On account of this pious act, she 
herself was accused as a Christian to 
Elpidius, the Prefect of Rome, who said to 
her: " Art thou Sabina, that Roman so 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 370 

illustrious by her birth and her marriage?" 
"Yes," she replied, "but I rather thank my 
Lord Jesus Christ, that by His servant 
Seraphia, He has delivered me from the 
power of demons." Every effort to make 
her deny Christ was fruitless, and she was 
condemned to be beheaded (about 130). In 
425 a church was built on the Aventine, just 
at the spot where she had suffered death. 
Later, Pope Honorius IH made over to St. 
Dominic the church and its dependencies, 
and it became one of the sanctuaries most 
justly dear to the Order. The cell of the 
holy Patriarch is still preserved, as well as 
the orange tree planted by his own hands. 
Of this tree St. Francis de Sales thus charm- 
ingly writes to St. Chantal: "I have seen 
in Rome, a tree planted by the Blessed 
Dominic; every one goes to see it, and 
cherishes it for the sake of the planter. 
Thus, having seen in you the tree of the 
desire of sanctity, which Our Lord has 
planted in your soul, I cherish it tenderly 
and say: May God give you increase, oh 
beautiful tree which He has planted, divine, 
celestial seed! May God deign to make you 
bring forth fruit to maturity." 

Prayer — Spirit of Dominic, flourish in us! 

Practice — Make a spiritual pilgrimage to 
the cell and orange tree of St. Dominic. 



B80 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

AUGUST 30. 

St. Rose of Lima, V., O. P. 

St. Rose was the first flower of sanctity 
of South America. God loved her with a 
singular love and confided her to the Order 
of St. Dominic; Father Velasquez, six other 
Dominicans and five Jesuits trained her soul 
with the utmost solicitude. Day by day 
this flower grew in beauty, carefully hedged 
in by the thorns of mortification, and kept 
in perfect solitude in the midst of the world. 
But the perfume of her charity and purity 
was diffused all around, and drew the faith- 
ful to the practice of Christian perfection. 
Rose was privileged to hear these words 
from Jesus: *'Rose of My Heart, be thou 
My Spouse." The great cross of her life 
was not her cruel penances, but an interior 
desolation which tortured her several hours 
each day for fifteen years. She then ex- 
perienced a kind of reprobation, and cried 
out with Jesus on the Cross: ''My God, 
why hast Thou forsaken me?" At such 
times it was her consolation to adorn the 
statue of Our Lady of the Rosary in the 
Dominican Church, which she did with ex- 
quisite taste. She died at the age of thirty- 
one, manifesting great gratitude to her 
benefactor Dr. Gonzales in whose house 
she lived for some years (1617). 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 381 

Prayer — "Alas! were it possible I would 
go through the streets barefooted, clothed 
in hair-cloth, cross in hand, to call the world 
to penance. I would say: Think of it. Lost 
for eternity!" (St. Rose>. 

Practice — Pray for the Dominicans of 
Peru, and the Dominican Sisters of South 
America. 



AUGUST 31. 

Ven. Augustine Schoeffler, M., T., O. P. 

Augustine Schoeffler was born in 1822 at 
Mittelbroun in the diocese of Nancy, and 
was received into the Third Order by Most 
Rev. Father Jandel of holy memory, who 
had been his superior and confessor at the 
seminary of Pont-a-Mousson. In 1847 he 
left the Foreign Missionary College for the 
perilous mission of Tonquin. Here he fell 
into the hands of the grand mandarin's 
satellites, who cast him into a horrible dun- 
geon, his neck in the cangue and chained 
day and night. Finally he was sentenced to 
be beheaded on May 1, 1851. The hero of 
the Faith, the servant of Mary, went forth 
with a smiling countenance, his head erect, 
holding up his chains in his hands and 
reciting fervent prayers. ''How handsome 



382 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

he is," said the pagans, "What a hero! He 
goes to death as others go to a feast." He 
even threw off his sandals that he might 
walk more rapidly. On reaching the place 
of execution he knelt down, and taking his 
crucifix tenderly kissed it three times. Then 
he offered his neck to the executioners say- 
ing: "Do your work quickly." But the 
executioner's hand trembled, and the mar- 
tyr's head only fell at the third stroke. He 
was twenty-nine years of age. Pius IX in 
1857, declared him a martyr. 

Prayer — Queen of Martyrs, pray for all 
missionaries suffering persecution or dis- 
couragement. " 

Practice — Make little sacrifices, with love, 
at home, since you have neither the oppor- 
tunity nor the courage to make great ones 
in foreign lands for the extension of the 
Faith. 



SEPTEMBER 1. 

St. Philomena, V. M. 

Philomena, according to hagiographers, 
consecrated her virginity to God at the age 
of eleven. Two years afterwards the Em- 
peror Diocletion asked her in marriage. 
Her parents pressed her to consent to such 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 383 



an honorable alliance, but she firmly rcr 
plied: ''God and virginity are my dearest 
treasures; my country is heaA^en." Such 
a reply was regarded by the Emperor as an 
. insult, and he avenged himself by putting 
her to death. What was revenge to him 
was a reward for the yoimg virgin, who 
ascended to heaven bearing the palm of 
martyrdom. God made use of a saintly 
Dominican Tertiary of Naples — whose pro- 
cess of canonization has already begun— to 
cause the illustrious martyr tq be better 
known. He had on the subject, very de- 
tailed revelations, Avhich are worthy of 
credit. The Bl. Cure d'Ars often rec- 
ommended prayers to St. Philomena, and 
he always attributed to her intercession the 
extraordinary favors he received fvom 
heaven. The relics of the saint were dis- 
covered in 1802. Mugnano, in the diocese 
of Nola is the centre of the devotion to St. 
Philomena; the numberless miracles she 
works explain the increased confidence in 
her intercession and the many confraterni- 
ties established in her honor. 

Prayer — St. Philomena, obtain for me 
prudence and strength to resist the seduc- 
tions of the world. 

Practice — Meditate on this instruction 
given by Our Lord to St. Catherine of 



384 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS, 

Siena: "Would you not think condemned 
criminals mad, if they went to their death 
singing, dancing and giving signs of foolish 
joy? Sinners are still more mad." 



SEPTEMBER 2. 

Ven. Benedicta of Laus, V., T., O. P. 

Two shepherdesses, Germaine Cousin on 
the plains of Languedoc, and Benedicta of 
Lans on the slope of the Alps, have become 
models of sanctity and sources of blessing 
for France. In order to support her parents, 
Benedicta while still young, served two 
masters at the same time, the wages she 
earned being small. Mary deigned to ap- 
pear to her in a ruined chapel, which be- 
came the centre of the pilgrimage to Our 
Lady of Lans. She entered the Third 
Order, and penetrated with its spirit, showed 
a firm, yet gentle and marvellously enlight- 
ened zeal. She would say to pious persons: 
^Tray; the more we pray to the saints, 
the more the saints pray for us. Obey your 
director; if we do not obey we do not 
know where we are going." To missionar- 
ies: "Avoid discord among yourselves. Re- 
ceive the pilgrims with cordial charity; show 
kindness to sinners, especially to the most 
guilty." To justify her title of a member 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 385 

of the Third Order of Penance she prac- 
tised incredible austerities, to which, towards 
the end of her life, God added crucifying 
interior trials. No more apparitions of 
Mary, no sense of the presence of God, 
everywhere darkness and desolation; but 
nothing discouraged her. When she was 
dying, some one expressed a hope for her 
recovery: "Ah!" she cried, "Pray God to 
preserve me from such a misfortune!" (1718). 

Prayer — Christians, return to the Lord, 
return! (Ven. Benedicta). 

Practice — Often visit the private oratory 
consecrated to Mary, in your home, and 
respectfully adorn it. 



SEPTEMBER 3. 

BL Guala, B., C, O. P. 

Bl. Guala was born at Bergams, of an 
illustrious family, and entered the Ord^r of 
Friars Preachers with his brother Roger. 
After being trained in the religious life by 
St. Dominic, he was instituted Prior of the 
Convent of Brescia, where he is said to 
have had Bl. Isnard of Vicenza for his dis- 
ciple. There, also, he was favored with the 
vision of St. Dominic's entrance into glory, 
which is celebrated in the office of the Holy 

25 



386 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Patriarch by these words: Scala coelo 
prominens fratri revelatur, per quam pater 
transiens sursum ferebatur: 

A ladder reaching to the sky 
Shone brightly on a Brother's eye; 
Who clear discerned our Father blest 
Ascending to his saintly rest. 

Later he was made Bishop of Brescia and 
governed his diocese with wisdom and 
prudence in the midst of fierce civil wars. 
Trevisa, Parma, Bologna, Verona, Viterbo, 
each in turn experienced his zeal as Apos- 
tolic Legate. Towards the end of his life 
he renounced his dignity and retired to the 
Convent of the Holy Sepulchre. There he 
spent his last five years in tending the poor 
and weeping over the evils of his country. 
The B. Pinamonte having completed the 
church of the Order at Bergama begged 
Bl. Guala to come and consecrate it; he 
did so with a profound spirit of faith, though 
it cost him a great effort. His death oc- 
curred shortly afterwards. 

Prayer — My God, I offer Thee my life, 
now and when it pleases Thee, use it for 
Thy glory (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice: examen — Do you sorrow when 
you perceive discord? Do you ever try to 
keep it up? Do you try to restore harmony? 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 387 

SEPTEMBER 4. 

Anniversary of Deceased Benefactors. 

Gratitude towards benefactors is a natural 
virtue, but the grace of Christianity perfects 
its interior principle and makes its effects 
more lasting. It is to fulfil this duty, that 
amongst the children of St. Dominic, the 
choir religious, even though he be not in 
Holy Orders, is bound to recite the Divine 
Office. When our benefactors are dead, 
gratitude follows them beyond the tomb and 
assists them by numerous prayers. Every 
day before meals the "De Profundis" is 
recited for them; as if we dared npt take 
our bread before recommending to God 
those to whom, perhaps, we owe it. To- 
morrow we shall commemorate our de- 
parted benefactors by a solemn anniversary; 
it is but right to prepare ourselves to-day 
that we may more surely and fully gain the 
indulgences attached to it. Let each one, 
therefore, be mindful of it, and thus merit 
the increased protection of the saints for 
the work to which he has devoted his life. 
This devotion was remarkable in the Ven. 
Sister Magdalene de Lorca, who whilst vis- 
iting the different altars of the convent 
church (a devotion very dear to St. Dominic 



388 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

and enriched with indulgences), saw the 
souls of the departed anxiously following 
her from one altar to another until she had 
finished her prayers. 

Prayer — My God, grant to our benefac- 
tors, without delay, a place of refreshment, 
light and peace. 

Practice — Before meals say three Hail 
Marys for the dead who have done you 
good, either spiritual or temporal, either in 
the world or in religion. 



SEPTEMBER 5. 

Bl. Catherine of Bacomgi, V., T., O. P. 

Bl. Catherine had long desired to join the 
Third Order, but was only able to do so at 
the age of twenty-eight. The cross was her 
portion all her life long. Poverty, sickness, 
persecutions, abandonment, nothing was 
spared her. She found great help in con- 
fession, for which she prepared by a search- 
ing examination of conscience, followed by 
a firm purpose, constantly renewed, of domg 
all things solely for God's honor. Preju- 
diced against her by envious tongues, the 
Provincial refused her a confessor from 
whom she received great assistance, and 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 389 

even prohibited the Fathers of the neigh- 
boring monasteries to receive her in the 
sacred tribunal. But nothing could discour- 
age or embitter her. The cross generously 
carried brought grace and consolation. Our 
Blessed was visited by Mary, who offered 
her to Jesus as His spouse. Jesus accepted 
her, gave her a special participation in the 
gifts of the Holy Ghost, especially the gift 
of knowledge, and bestowed a ring upon 
her; then having perfectly purified her 
heart. He Himself engraved these words 
upon it: "J^sus spes mea." Catherine felt 
the evils which were the result of the wars 
in Italy, in an extraordinary manner, and by 
her sufferings obtained their diminution. 
The people called her "God's sorceress," so 
many were the miracles of her life (1547). 

Prayer — Great are the iniquities of the 
world, and my sins make me unworthy to 
be heard. But, O my Hope, Thy goodness 
will not allow me to weary myself in vainly 
supplicating Thee (Bl. Catherine of Ra- 
conigi). 

Examen — How do ycu regard the evils of 
your age? With discouragement? With in- 
difference? With indignation against the 
poor wanderers? Do you ever think that 
without grace you would be worse than 
thev are? 



390 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

SEPTEMBER 6. 

Bl. Bertrand of Garrigua 

Carrigue, near Alais, was Bl. Bertrand's 
native place. He soon joined St. Dominic, 
whose companion he happened to be, when, 
near Carcassone, the Saint, by virtue of the 
sign of the Cross, walked through the rain 
without getting wet. On another occasion 
when he and the holy Founder were travel- 
ling with some Germans who paid thhe ex- 
penses of the journey, St. Dominic was able 
to speak their language, that he might 
reward their charity by giving them in ex- 
change for material food, the spiritual food 
of the Word of God. Bertrand being at 
Montpellier, Brother Benedict asked him 
why he so often offered Mass for himself or 
for sinners (which latter practice St. Dom- 
inic had recommended to him), and rarely 
for the dead. "It is/' he said, "because the 
salvation of the souls in Purgatory is as- 
sured, while sinners are always in peril." 
"Nevertheless," replied the Brother, "sin- 
ners, if they wish, have the means of obtain- 
ing their deliverance, whilst the souls in 
Purgatory so worthy of interest on account 
of their sanctity, cannot help themselves and 
depend upon our suffrages." However, the 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 391 

Blessed did not give way; but the following 
night the souls in Purgatory tormented him 
so much that at daybreak he arose, and with 
tears offered Mass for them, a practice he 
afterwards continued. He died at Bouchet, 
in a monastery of Cistercian nuns, animating 
them to persevere in divine love and in sep- 
aration from the world (1230). 

Prayer — Bl. Bertrand, impart to me 
the grace St. Dominic obtained for you, to 
weep over the sins of others. 

Practice — Offer a Communion for the 
souls in Purgatory and do not forget them 
at the memento of the dead. 



SEPTEMBER 7. 
Veil. Fr. Albert O'Brien, B., M., O. P. 

Fr. Albert was descended from the ancient 
kings of Ireland, who are justly renowned 
in history. Having entered the Order he 
was soon elected Provincial, and attending, 
in this capacity, the General Chapter of 1644, 
he showed so much zeal for Catholic inter- 
ests, for the unity of the Order and the de- 
fence of the Holy See (Protestantism being 
then at the height of its tyrannical power), 



392 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

that Urban VIII appointed him Bishop of 
Emly. As a bishop he was remarkable for 
his prudence and vigilance, his gift of coun- 
sel and his attachment to the observances 
of the Order. In 1651, Henry Treton, Crom- 
well's son-in-law, besieged Limerick, and 
knowing that Albert, who had hastened 
thither, was the great bulwark of the Faith, 
offered him a large sum of money on con- 
dition that he should leave the town; but 
he preferred to remain at his post. When 
the city fell, the holy bishop was arrested 
at the hospital, while tending the plague- 
stricken, and condemned to be hanged on 
the Vigil of All Saints. His head, stuck on 
a lance, was placed on top of the citadel, 
where it remained for a considerable time 
in a state of perfect preservation, flowing 
continually with fresh blood — a sign, no 
doubt, of the virginal purity he kept to the 
end of his life. His praise has been resumed 
in four words: Virgin, Doctor, -Bishop, 
Martyr. 

Prayer — From death comes the life that 
ends not. Without death there is no life. 
As the life is so is the death. The stronger 
and more energetic the death, the stronger 
and more energetic the life (Tauler, O. P.) 

Practice — Prepare for death every evening. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 393 



SEPTEMBER 8. 

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

According to several authors, the Blessed 
V^irgin was born at Jerusalem, in the house 
near the pond Probatica. Albert the Great, 
O. P., finds seven figures of her Nativity 
in the Holy Scriptures: First, the star of 
Jacob; second, Gideon's fleece; third, the 
enclosed garden of the Canticle; fourth, the 
rod of Jesse; fifth, the closed gate of Eze- 
chiel; sixth, the humble Esther pleasing 
Assuerus; seventh, the pearl of price, hid- 
den at first, but valued and purchased by 
Jesus. Then he praises even the bodily 
graces of the little child, which serve as the 
accompaniment and frame to the nobility 
of her soul, and are the result of the perfect 
equilibrium of her disposition, the harmoni- 
ous proportion of all her members, and finally 
of the beautiful expression of her counte- 
nance. But long before the Fathers had 
compared Mary in her Nativity to a bril- 
liant and radiant dawn. A bright dawn an- 
nounces a fair day; so does Mary announce 
and begin the fairest of days, the day of sal- 
vation, the day of pardon, the day. which the 
Lord hath made. Let us, therefore, joy- 



394 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

fully say to her with the Church: "Thy birth, 
O Virgin Mother of God, has filled the 
whole world with joy, because the Son of 
Justice, Christ our Lord is born of thee; 
Who delivered us from the curse and filled 
us with blessings: Who overcoming death 
hath given us everlasting life." 

Prayer — O my Sovereign Lady, obtain for 
me the grace to serve thy Son in chastity of 
body and purity of heart (St. Thomas 
Aquinas). 

Practice — Salute the image of Mary with 
great devotion. 



SUNDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OP 
THE NATIVITY. 

The Holy Name of Mary. 

''The name of Mary," says St. Thomas, 
"means Star of the Sea; for as navigators 
are led to port by the star, so are Christians 
led by Mary to glory. This name also sig- 
nifies 'Dominatrix,' and it is on this account 
that Mary is represented in the Apocalypse 
with the moon beneath her feet." How 
many victories have Christian armies gained 



SAI?fT>S AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 395 

with her assistance! That of Vienna against 
the Turks was the cause of the institution 
of to-day^s feast. *'0 name of Mary! more 
resplendent than the sun, more oderiferous 
than balm and cinnamon, name at whose in- 
vocation the world rejoices, heaven exults, 
the angels sing; the just are raised up, the 
devil confounded and hell trembles. When 
thou art pronounced we beat our breast, bow 
the head, weep over our sins, and shed also 
tears of devotion and joy, the heart sighs, 
the soul is transported with love" (St. Ilde- 
phonsus). "If, therefore,'* says St. Bernard, 
"you are in peril, in anguish, in perplexity, 
in the tempest, think of Mary, call upon 
Mary. May her name be ever on your lips 
and ever in your heart." This name was the 
first word pronounced by B. Francis Passa- 
das, O. P. May it be the last word on our 
dying lips! 

Prayer — O Mary! What must thou thyself 
be, when thy name alone is so lovable and 
gracious? (Bl. Henry Suso). 

Practice — "Recite the salutation of the 
Holy Name of Mary, composed by Blessed 
Jordan of Saxony. O. P., or some shorter 
prayer to the Blessed Virgin, as the 
Memorare. 



396 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

SEPTEMBER 9. 
Ven. Sophia of Colmar, V., O. P. 

Every capital sin, which, according to St. 
Thomas, is borfi of pride, and has for its 
offspring, hatred, murmuring, detraction, 
pleasure in the misfortunes of others^ and 
sorrow at their good fortune. Our Sister 
Sophia deplored until her death a slight feel- 
ing of envy and jealousy she had experienced 
in her childhood; this was her greatest sin, 
which she repaired a hundredfold by beauti- 
ful acts of charity towards her neighbor, and 
zeal for her own perfection. At the hour of 
death her face shone brightly, and she began 
to sing a hymn in praise of Jesus and Mary. 
The hymn ended, she continued to repeat the 
word "Amen," changing the melody each 
time. Her companions inquired the reason, 
and she replied: ''I wish to sing as long as 
I live; I cannot sing long phrases, but by 
modulating in different ways the word Amen, 
I seek to express the happiness I feel, and 
the beauty I have seen." Thus did she put 
into practice what St. Augustine so well de- 
scribes of the Blessed: ''All their action and 
scribes of the life of Blessed: "All their 
action and their joy will consist in saying: 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 397 

Amen, Alleluia. Amen, a word of adhesion 
to the Eterna Truth; alleluia, a word of 
complacence in the Ineffable Beauty." 

Prayer — O my Jesus, Thy words are a de- 
licious music to afflicted souls (Bl. Henry 
Suso). 

Practice — Regret that you have so little 
sorrow for your sins at the evening examen; 
and in your confessions excite yourself espe- 
cially to contrition, above all things relying 
upon the grace of God to obtain the gift 
of perfect contrition. 



SEPTEMBER lO. 

Ven. Sister Charity of Brescia, V., O. P. 

To make her worthy of her name. Charity, 
Our Lord appeared to her when she was 
five years old, saying: "My daughter, give 
Me thy heart.'' From that time forth divine 
love filled her whole being and all her works. 
When she took the habit at the monastery 
of St. Catherine, she was so full of jubila- 
tion in the choir and elsewhere that she 
seemed to have lost her senses, and was 
penanced for her excessive joy. She will- 



398 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

ingly prayed for her neighbor when asked 
to do so; but sure of having her prayer 
granted, and fearing esteem, she got her 
companions to join her, and attributed the 
grace obtained to them. She sweetly bore 
the trials of common life, injuries, sicknesses 
and the persecution of the devil, who often 
extinguished her lamp and struck her 
roughly on the head. To obtain the con- 
version of a hardened sinner she passed 
three days and three nights in prayer; but 
to obtain complete detachment and perfect 
union of her heart with God required twelve 
years of effort. Her love m_erited for her 
the grace to be borne to heaven by angels 
in great splendor, and to be placed among 
the seraphim. Before her death, God sent 
her for her Purgatory two days of violent 
fever, as a punishment for having sometimes 
failed in charity by neglecting fraternal cor- 
rection (1515). 

Prayer — My Jesus. I do not even know 
how to give Thee my heart sincerely and 
forever. Ah! take it, purify it, transform it, 
and make it helpful to my neighbor. 

Practice — Make aspirations of love, and 
perform acts of charity, as a means of effac- 
ing your venial sins, even when you do not 
discern them in particular. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 399 

SEPTEMBER 11. 

' -i Ven. Father Martin Donadieu. 

Like his patron St. Martin, the Ven. 
Father was of short stature. He entered 
the Order at Carcassone, and showed so 
much facility in preaching, so natural and 
sweet an ardor, that he seemed to have be- 
come the organ of the Holy Ghost. His two 
dominant graces were the interpretation of 
the Holy Scriptures and the power to lead 
hearts to repentance. If the appointed 
preacher happened to fail, Martin, at the 
bidding of obedience, would go into the pul- 
pit, and his words always produced fruit. At 
Matins his devotion to the psalmody com- 
pletely carried, him away, so that he did not 
perceive the discord of his voice; the cantor 
was frequently obliged to correct him, but 
without much success. After Matins he 
made his confession, and then spent some 
time in mental prayer in preparation for 
Mass. His devotion to Mary had caused 
him to acquire the habit of inscribing "Ave 
Maria*' at the beginning of every page he 
wrote. He loved his Order so much, that 
he knew and could relate its whole history, 
year by year; his memory was the sure and 



400 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

abundant source whence Bernard Guidonis 
drew for his writings. He was buried near 
Blessed Rome de Livia, and was venerated 
in the Convent of Carcassone until the Rev- 
olution (1299). 

Prayer — Grant, O my God, that I may one 
day have engraved on my tomb as Venerable 
Donadieu had, these words: "Semper vere- 
dicus, bonitatis verus amicus." 



Practice — When you can do so without 
singularity, salute your pious acquaintance 
with the Ave Maria. 



SEPTEMBER 12. 
Bl. Fr. Seraphin Capponi, C, O. P. 

In the beginning of his religious life, the 
devil, the prince of darkness, enemy of 
truth and friend of error, wished to dissuade 
Fr. Seraphin from study, by exaggerating 
the fatigues and perils which accompany it. 
But he understood that instead of omitting 
study on this account, he should join to it 
all the more carefully the spiritual preserva- 
tions provided by God, especially humility, 
obedience and praj^er. He was even seen 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 401 

to give himself with good grace to innocent 
recreations. Every day he spent two hours 
in preparing for Mass and an hour in thanks- 
giving. It was on his knees before the cru- 
cifix, or standing before a picture of St. 
Thomas Aquinas that he prepared his lec- 
tures and composed his books. We may 
mention in particular his commentary on the 
Summa, where in a clear, concise style, he 
m.akes the most sublime doctrines accessible 
to all. He spent hours in contemplation 
before the tomb of St. Dominic; for he had 
the happiness of inhabiting the Convent of 
Bologna, called the Patriarchal Convent, 
from its possession of this treasure. When 
his death was announced he replied: "Bene- 
dictus Deus," ''Blessed be God." He has 
worked many miracles and his tomb is still 
venerated in our church at Bologna (1614). 

Prayer — Lord, instead of abandoning ex- 
terior works on account of their difficulty, I 
will renounce the unhappy faults by which 
I prevent their success. 

Examen — Do you make your spiritual 
reading regularly? With order? With the 
intention of acquiring virtue? Accompany- 
ing the reading with reflections and as- 
pirations? 

26 



402 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

SEPTEMBER 13. 
Ven. Fr. Peter Ibanez, C, O. P. 

The glory of this learned and holy relig- 
ious is to have upheld St. Teresa in the op- 
position encountered by her Reform, basing 
his , approbation on the most solid theolog- 
ical principles of religious perfection. He 
enlightened her also on the marvelous 
things that passed within her, where many 
others only saw imagination or diabolical 
illusions. Under pretext of a closer exam- 
ination he persuaded her to write her own 
life, foreseeing how useful it would be to 
souls. Teresa humbly obeyed, saying: "I 
rely on your promise to destroy all that you 
do not approve of." She always showed in- 
tense gratitude to Father Ibanez and by 
her prayers assisted him to a high degree 
of holiness; she also helped him to bear 
patiently a cruel calumny, one of the most 
painful trials for a just and upright soul. 
She herself in her writings praises his sanc- 
tity: "One day 1 saw the Blessed Virgin 
covering him with a white mantle. In his 
last illness his ecstasies were frequent. Since 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 403 

his. death he has appeared to me in glory 
and has made me special communications" 
(1565). 

Prayer — ^Grand, O Lord, that I may will- 
ingly share with others the good I possess; 
and may humbly ask a share of that which 
I have not (St. Thomas Aquinas). 

Examen — Are you faithful to meditation, 
without ever being discouraged by darkness, 
weariness, distractions and desolation? Do 
you try to obtain practical results for your 
conduct? 



SEPTEMBER 14. 

Exaltation of the Holy Cross. 

A time of stricter penance begins to-day 
for the Order of St. Dominic, and lasts until 
Easter. It is but fitting that our interior 
dispositions should be conformable to our 
exterior practices, for such is the intention 
of the Church and our holy Founder. Re- 
peat therefore this intention: "O Cross of 
Jesus, too often do I murmur against thee, 
too rarely do I exalt and embrace thee with 
love! Yet T know that thou art my salva- 



404 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

tion and my glory; ceaselessly do I trace 
thee on my forehead, press thee to my lips, 
place thee ou my^ heart. Why, then, this 
perpetual inconsistency? Ah. it is because 
I understand Christianity better than I prac- 
tice it. I humble myself and repent. Hence- 
forth, O Cross, I will bless thee in the secret 
of my heart, I will exalt thee before men, 
and I will consider myself happy to give 
glory to Jesus by bearing thee. But the 
cross I will love most, is the cross of the 
Rule, the cross of bearing with different 
characters, the cross of office, of submission 
to the trials and sacrifices of common life. 
Grant. O my God! that I may faithfully and 
joyfully bear this cross, which shines not 
before men but has power to sanctify me." 

Prayer — It is because of the ardor of Thy 
charity, O Eternal God, that Jesus Christ 
retains upon His body the marks of His 
wounds: neither His Resurrection nor His 
glory can efface those bleeding traces (St. 
Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Sometimes make your medita- 
tion crucifix in hand; kiss the five wounds, 
one after. the other, making your abode ?n 
the wound of the Heart. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 405 



SEPTEMBER 15. 

Commemoration of St. Dominic in 
Soriano. 

In the year 1530, when Protestantism was 
propagating its errors against the Faith and 
devotion to the saints, a privileged picture 
of St. Dominic, the hero of the Faith, was 
bestowed by heaven on the Convent of 
Suriano. It represents the traits of a man 
ardent and firm in the pursuit of his under- 
takings. Such, in truth, was our holy 
Father; for we read in his Office: "He was 
a truly apostolic man, the mainstay of the 
Faith, the trumpet of the Gospel, the eye 
of the world, the lamp of Christ, a second 
Precursor, a zealous lover of souls. On 
earth he was perfect in many virtues; in 
heaven he is adorned with many crowns." 
Thanks to its miraculous picture, Suriano 
became a pilgrimage of world-wide fame; 
one year as many as a hundred and thirty 
thousand pilgrims gathered together on this 
feast. Pope Urban VIII, Innocent X, Alex- 
ander VIII, Innocent XI, Clement XI, In- 
nocent XIII, Benedict XIII and Clement 
XII enriched this pilgrimage with their 
favors. An earthquake destroyed the splen- 
did convent which the munificence of princes 
and people had erected, but the venerable 



406 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

picture was saved and is still held in great 
veneration. Children of Dominic, look at 
your Father, at his countenance and his 
ways, and be his living portrait. 

Prayer — My beloved Father, I wish to fol- 
low you and live your life, but lead and 
uphold me. 

Practice — Meditate on these words of God 
to St. Catherine of Siena: "Thy Father 
Dominic chose as his special good the light 
of knowledge that he might destroy error. 
He took upon himself the office of the 
Word, My Son, with such ardor did he sow 
My Word. He was a torch given to men 
through Mary^ Yes, it was through Mary." 



SEPTEMBER 16. 

Bl. Imelda Lambertini. 

At the age of ten Imelda entered a con- 
vent of the Order at Bologna, as a pupil. 
Soon, however, she petitioned for and ob- 
tained the habit; and thenceforth surpassed 
in virtue, especially in simplicity and obedi- 
ence, even the oldest Sisters. The chaplain 
thought her too young to make her first 
Communion, and the poor child was con- 
sumed by her ardent desires. But who can 



SAINTS AND Sx\lNTLY DOMINICANS. 407 

Oppose God when He wills to favor a pure 
soul? On Ascension Day whilst all the Sis- 
ters approached the Holy Table to receive 
their Saviour, Imelda alone, through obedi- 
ence, remained away; but her sighs and 
prayers drew God to her. To the amaze- 
ment of all a Host appeared over her head; 
the priest, understanding* the Divine Will 
came forward to receive It and communi- 
cated the little maiden. Imelda could not 
contain her happiness: her eyes closed, her 
heart ceased to beat: she died of love (1333). 
The celebrated Prosper I.ambertini, who be- 
came Pope imder the name of Benedict XTV, 
a member of the same family, labored to 
propagate devotion to her. A Confraternity 
for First Communicants has been established 
in our days under her patronage; many in- 
dulgences have been granted to it by the 
Holy See, and Heaven has blessed it with 
rich fruits of grace. 

Prayer — O Jesus! how often have I eaten 
the Bread of Angels without hunger or 
desire! (Bl. Henry Suso). 

Practice — See whether your desire for 
Holy Communion is purely divine, or has 
anything human in it. You may discover 
this by the care you take in preparing for 
this august Sacrament, and the manner in 
which your preserve its fruits^ 



408 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

SEPTEMBER 17. 

Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi. 

Francis of Assisi wis one of the saints 
who most resembled Jesus crucified, not so 
much by the great trials which came to him 
from creatures, as b)^ the strength of his 
compassionate love. To complete this glo- 
rious resemblance, when he had spent a forty 
days fast in honor of St. Michael, on Mount 
Alverna, Jesus appeared to him in the form 
of a seraph and so inflamed his heart, that, 
as St. Francis de Sales says: "His soul, the 
mistress of his body, made use of her power 
to impress upon it the painful wounds from 
which she herself suffered." Thenceforward 
he was consumed with suffering, tears and 
sighs; he lost his sight through constantly 
weeping over his God, Who had died for 
the love of man, and over the ingratitude of 
man towards his Benefactor. "Before tast- 
ing this proof of it," he says, *T had asked 
Christ for His love, believing I should find 
but delights; but His darts have redoubled, 
they have broken all my members so great 
is their strength. My heart is no longer my 
own, my soul is transformed into Him, it 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 400 

is almost Christ Himself. * « ^-k j i;^^- 
guish, I sigh, I die." Benedict XI, O. P., 
first approved the ofifice of the Stigmata of 
St. Francis. 

Prayer — O God! what did St. Francis ex- 
perience when he saw the image of our 
Saviour on the Cross! I.ove wounded his 
body with the same dart which had pierced 
his heart! (St. Francis de Sales). 

Practice — Rejoice if you suffer painful 
trials, or at least resign yourself in peace. 



SEPTEMBER 18. 

Bl. Zedmera of Ethiopia, V., O. P. 

The Order was early established in Ethi- 
opia, Blessed Reginald and the primitive 
saints being held there in great honor. God, 
Who is rich in mercy, and Who dispenses 
the treasures of His grace in both East and 
West, raised up later on the noble virgin 
Zedmera, about the same time that St. Cath- 
erine of Siena adorned Italy. At the age of 
seven she left the house of the king, her 
father, in order to consecrate herself en- 
tirely to God. She was soon favored with 



410 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

wonderful ecstasies and lived a life of absti- 
nence surpassing even that of the Fathers 
of the Desert. Her example caused the 
religious life to be highly esteemed by all 
around her, and her fervent exhortations 
were a means of spreading the Faith even 
amongst persons in the world. Her father 
won the martyr's crown; she herself died 
in dispositions of the greatest fervor and 
was received by Our Lord and His angels 
upon her departure from this world. The 
historians of the Order delight in relating 
this extraordinary life, that it may be seen 
with admiration how God, in every age, 
counterbalances by prodigious, unexpected, 
and often unknown means the iniquities of 
the world. 

Prayer— My God, to supply for mj' pov- 
erty, I ofifer Thee the merits of all Thy 
saints; of those who have inhabited the 
palaces of princes, and of those who have 
dwelt in the solitudes of the desert. 

Practice — If need be, defend the religious 
life, especially the contemplative life, which 
is little appreciated even by believers; for 
they do not sufficiently understand the im- 
portance of prayer and expiation, either with 
regard to the Divine honor or to social 
utility. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 411 

SEPTEMBER 19. 

Yen. Adelaide of Colmar, V., O. P. 

The Ven. Mother Adelaide had probably 
counted on finding the religious life ideal, 
angelic and full of the sweetness of love; 
but shortly after her entrance into the con- 
vent she was literally besieged and over- 
whelmed with very painful temptations, from 
which even the severest penances could not 
free her. She resisted with humility, pa- 
tience and courage. Finally the storm was 
succeeded by a calm; and, as if in repay- 
ment, her soul overflowed with heavenly 
favors; among others she received the gift 
of great purity of conscience. One day she 
felt a burning flame descend from heaven 
and destroy in her soul the. last roots and 
vestiges of sin. Far from reposing in a de- 
lightful but perilous peace, she redoubled 
her energy and vigilance in keeping her 
senses in check, that nothing might tarnish 
the precious but delicate interior purity 
which God had so mercifully granted her. 
With what joy did she, like a dove, wing her 
flight to heaven, leaving this body of sin and 
death to be united with Christ in eternal 
charity! (Thirteenth century). 



412 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Prayer — My God, like an expert physician, 
Thou burnest with the fire of tribulation the 
deep wounds which could not be healed by 
the balm of consolation. Be Thou ever 
blessed! 

Practice — Every morning strive to fore- 
see the temptations that may assail you dur- 
ing the day and arm. yourself against them, 
either by avoiding them if j^ou can and if 
they are too dangerous, or else by overcom- 
ing them, which is the best and often the 
only thing to do. 



SEPTEMBER 20. 

Bl. Francis Possadas, C, O. P. 

Blessed T'rancis, in his early years, de- 
lighted to give to the poor* the food he 
received, and to gather together the chil- 
dren of his own age to recite the Rosary in 
procession. He endeavored to instill piety 
into persons of the world, and even into 
his own parents, reasoning in a manner be- 
yond his years. His step-father treated him 
very badly for a long while, and forced him 
to abandon his studies and learn a trade in- 
stead; but the harsh master to whorn he was 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 413 

apprenticed was overcome by his meekness 
and furnished him with the means to con- 
tinue his studies. When he became a relig- 
ious his brethren misunderstood him for a 
considerable time; but his merits were 
finally recognized and he was ordered to 
prepare for the priesthood. In the exercise 
of the sacred ministry he acquired such in- 
fluence over the people that at Cordova, 
with the assent of the magistrates, he suc- 
ceeded in abolishing all the theatres in the 
tow^n. It might be said that the zeal and 
eloquence of St. Vincent Ferrer revived in 
him. In all his trials, prayer was his stay 
and consolation. At Holy Mass, in partic- 
ular, his devotion was so extraordinary that 
a bright ray was observed to issue from his 
mouth and light up the missal; at the Eleva- 
tion his whole body trembled. He died 
whilst the Credo was being sung to him for 
the third time (1731). 

Prayer — O Lord, make me to know my 
end; and what is the number of my days 
that I may know what is wanting to me 
(Ps. xxxviii, 5). 

Practice — When you pass the theatres ask 
God's forgiveness for all the sins committed 
therein. 



414 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 



^.- 



SEPTEMBER 21. 

St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist. 

St. Matthew, also called L.evi, belonged 
to the class of the publicans who were de- 
spised as public extortioners. Whilst he 
was at the receipt of customs, busy with his 
registers and money, entirely absorbed by 
the love of gain, Jesus passed by and said: 
"Follow Me." Immediately, without Our 
Lord needing to prepare his heart to rea- 
son, to convince or to persuade, he entirely 
sacrificed all things and persevered in the 
sacrifice the whole of his life. A miracle of 
the power of Jesus Christ over the love of 
riches! For twenty-three years Matthew 
labored for the extension of Christianity; 
the first use of holy water is attributed to 
him and he composed a blessing for it. He 
was preaching in Ethiopia when he was mas- 
sacred at the altar while concluding Mass. 
The perpetrators of the crime were the 
emissaries of the King, who was furious 
because the holy Apostle had encouraged a 
Christian virgin to refuse a marriage with 
the heir to the crown: Hence his title of 
"host and victim of virginity." His Gospels 
especially bring out those facts in Our Sa- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 415 

viour's life which would facilitate the con- 
version of the Jews. We know the esteem 
St. Dominic had for this Gospel, carrying 
it on his journeys, and never wearying of 
reading and meditating it. 

Prayer- — Lord, look upon me with a glance 
of predilection, and in commanding me to 
follow Thee, give me the grace to obey Thee 
generously. 

Practice — Regard it as an honor when. 
God asks you to do anything for Him, how- 
ever unimportant it may seem, and set to 
work without delay. 



SEPTEMBER 23. 

BL Simon Saltarello, Archbishop, O. P. 

All the hopes of Bl. Simon's noble parents 
were centered in him, and at the age of 
twenty, finding him too devout, they sought 
a suitable bride whose charms were calcu- 
lated to win his heart. Fearing to sadden 
his parents he consented to the betrothal. 
But shortly before the marriage, enamored 
of the religious life and imitating St. Alexis, 
he renounced the world to enter the Order 
of St. Dominic; neither remonstrances. 



416 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

threats nor tears could shake his resolution. 
When in the novitiate some expressed sur- 
prise that with his delicate and princely edu- 
cation he could so willingly embrace the 
severities of the Rule, he replied: "In tak- 
ing the religious habit I stripped myself of 
youth, ease and nobility; it is therefore not 
difftcult for me to embrace austerity." Later 
on he became a learned professor, Procura- 
tor General of the Order, and finally Arch- 
bishop of Pisa. Factions were then deso- 
lating Italy; by common consent he was 
a recognized arbitrator in different conten- 
tions, and he exercised his power so well 
that even those whom he declared to be in 
the wrong cheerfully accepted his decision. 
On his death-bed he asked to receive the 
Last Sacraments from the Fathers of the 
Order and according to the Dominican rite, 
humbly begging them for a place of burial 
and the suffrages of the Constitution (1342). 

Prayer — Our Lord is beautiful in His 
crib, beautiful in His preaching, beautiful in 
His scourging, beautiful on the wood of the 
Cross, beautiful in His sepulchre. Every- 
where He presents Himself to us as the 
most beautiful of Spouses (St. Augustine). 

"Practice — Calm restless spirits, pacify 
enemies. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 417 

SEPTEMBER 23. 

St. Thecla, V., Protomartyr. 

The enemies of Christ have always had "a 
lie for law, the devil for religion" (St. Ber- 
nard). This is clear from their violent per- 
secution of St. Thecla. At the age of eight- 
een she was converted to Christianity by St. 
Paul, and having heard his eloquent praises 
of chastity she resolved to consecrate her 
virginity to God, although already betrothed 
to a mortal spouse. She even persuaded 
several young maidens to follow her exam- 
ple. Her mother, enraged, went in person 
to ask the judge to burn her daughter alive. 
Subjected to different tortures, thrown into 
the fire, flung to the lions, bound to two wild 
bulls, cast into a pit of serpents, she was 
miraculously delivered from all these terri- 
ble torments and continued to serve God 
until the age of ninety. It was, therefore, 
martyrdom which failed her, not she who 
failed to undergo martyrdom. This is why 
the Church in her liturgy honors her with 
the martyr^s palm. Few virgin-martyr saints 
have been more praised by the Fathers of 
the Church and other ecclesiastical writers. 

Prayer — The hearts of the friends of God 
bleed, when they see and are unable to pre- 
vent the outrages offered by the creature to 

27 



418 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

the Creator — a suffering which is like a two- 
edged sword for truly spiritual souls (Tau- 
ler, O. P.). O my God! am I so truly Thy 
friend as to feel myself thus wounded? 

Practice — Read the sixth chapter of the 
second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, 
especially the tenth verse: As sorrowful, yet 
always rejoicing; as needy, yet enriching 
many; as having nothing and possessing 
all things. 

SEPTEMBER 24. 
Bl. Dalmatius Monier, C, O. P. 

Blessed Dalmatius was a Spaniard, but he 
studied at the University of Montpellier, 
which enjoyed a great reputation. In the 
religious life he was called "the brother who 
speaks with his angel," on account of his 
innocence and his familiarity with his angel 
guardian. After having taught theology 
with much success, though he declined the 
title of Lector, he gave up teaching and re- 
fused all dignities, the better to apply him- 
self to his own sanctification in the solitude 
of the cloister. In order to follow this at- 
traction he obtained permission to spend 
three years at the Sainte Baume in Prov- 
ence. The spirit of penance led him some- 
times to pass twenty days without drinking. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 419 

his food consisting of half-cooked vege- 
tables. On his journeys he took no pro- 
visions, graciously refusing those offered 
him, for it was his joy to depend solely upon 
Divine Providence. When he returned to 
his convent he hollowed out for himself a 
horrible and solitary grotto, after the model 
of St. Mary Magdalene's, where he had so 
long prayed with sighs and tears; here he 
dwelt four years. Like the illustrious peni- 
tent and contemplative he was often raised 
up in ecstasy by the angels. He died with 
his eyes fixed on the crucifix, his hands out- 
stretched towards heaven (1341). 

Prayer — My good angel, speak to me of 
God and correct me of my faults. 

Practice — Salute your good angel in the 
morning, at midday and in the evening, and 
whenever you go into the town or start upon 
a journey. 

SEPTEMBER 25. 

St. Thomas of Villanova, B., C. 

The Order of Hermits of St. Augustine, 
or Augustinian reform, devoted to a more 
solitary mode of life, is due to the initiative 
of Father Thomas of Jesus, who is well 
known by his beautiful work, "The Suffer- 
ings of Jesus Christ," composed in a Ma- 
hometan prison. Thomas of Villanova, a 



420 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

celebrated professor of philosophy and mas- 
ter of the renowned Dominic Soto, O. P., 
embraced the new Institute by which he is 
regarded as a second Founder. What did 
he recommend to his brethren? First, the 
Divine Ofifice; second, meditation and spir- 
itual reading; third, peace and fraternal 
union; fourth, a horror of idleness. But 
his distinctive characteristic was charity. 
Named archbishop by Charles V, he con- 
sidered his revenues as the goods of the 
poor, and used them very sparingly for his 
own necessities, as though they were only 
lent to him; on the other hand, he showed 
himself most generous to all in need. Be- 
fore his death he distributed everything he 
had to the poor, so much did he fear to die 
the possessor of any property; he expired 
on a borrowed mattress which he had given 
to a beggar. He is represented carrying in 
his hand a purse, instead of a crozier, with 
this inscription: "St. Thomas of Villanova, 
the Almoner." There is a foundation of 
Augustinian Tertiaries known as the Daugh- 
ters of St. Thomas of Villanova (1555). 

Prayer — Men who have neither fear of, 
nor repentance for, venial sin are worse in 
community than lions and bears (Tauler, 
O. P.). Am I of the number? 

Practice — Show kindness to the poor. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 421 

SEPTEMBER 36. 

Ven. Mother Agnes of Jesus, V., O. P. 

Ven. Agnes was of humble birth and en- 
tered the Monastery of St. Catherine at 
Langeac as a lay sister, but was later ad- 
mitted to profession as a choir religious. In 
the depth of her cloister she was the apostle 
of her country, the blessing of her native 
town and the light and joy of her commu- 
nity. She had many apparitions of Jesus 
and Mary, her angel guardian and the Patri- 
arch St. Dominic. But her great and truly 
extraordinary mission was to lead Monsieur 
Olier to embrace a more perfect life. She 
revealed to him his vocation of founder of 
seminaries in France and of the Congrega- 
tion of St. Sulpice. Although she had never 
seen him with her bodily eyes she recog- 
nized him immediately he entered the con- 
vent guest-room, and their two souls, with- 
out needing words, conferred together on 
the things of God. It would be impossible 
to admire sufftciently the prudence, firmness 
and kindness which Agnes displayed in the 
government of her Sisters. Her humility 
was so great that, as M. Olier says, "having 
seen in a letter some words in her own 
praise, she was so afflicted as to fall seri- 



422 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

ously ill" He again declares: "In my opin- 
ion since the beginning of the Church, after 
the Apostles, I do not believe there has 
lived a soul so enriched with virtues." She 
died in 1634 and was declared venerable 
in 1808. 

Prayer — Soon all will leave me, and I shall 
leave all things (Ven. M. Agnes). 

Practice — Impose some sacrifice upon 
yourself for priests who are little faithful to 
their vocation and exposed to be tainted 
with the spirit of the world. 



SEPTEMBER 27. 

Bl. Humbert de Komaiis. 

Blessed Humbert had asked God to die 
either a Carthusian or a Dominican. God 
in His wisdom and for the good of the Or- 
der called him to be a Dominican. For ten 
years he filled the office of Master General. 
He was solid in his instructions, most zeal- 
ous for the correction of the liturgical books 
and the perfection of the Divine Office, 
severe, at times, in his reprimands. But his 
principal characteristics were affability and 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 423 

gentleness; in consequence his corrections 
were always well received, as coming from 
a truly paternal heart. He was the means of 
founding more than a hundred monasteries; 
he visited the Province of the Holy Land, 
and it was due to him that Africa and the 
Indies received a great number of Friars 
Preachers bearing the glad tidings of the 
Gospel. His principal work, which still 
benefits the Order, was to instruct it by his 
writings in the excellence and duties of reg- 
ular Dominican life. This he did by de- 
scending to minute details, but details re- 
garded in the light of rational principles and 
practical discretion, and with a high ideal 
of the beauty of the religious life. His mind 
was so enlightened that he has been com- 
pared to St. Thomas Aquinas. These words 
were engraved upon his tomb: '*Area 
florum, Regula doctorum, lux semita nor- 
maque morum" (1277). 

Prayer— Blessed Humbert, obtain for us 
the fulness of the religious spirit. 

Practice — Meditate upon and examine 
yourself on these motives of pleasing your 
neighbor given by B. Humbert, not for your 
own satisfaction but for the good of others: 
First, that you may be listened to more will- 
ingly; second, that your counsels may be 
more readily followed; third, that your cor- 



424 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

rections may be received with less repug- 
nance; fourth, that you may be the better 
helped with temporal resources for your 
charitable works. 



SEPTEMBER 38. 
St. Joseph of Cupertino. 

St. Joseph was received as an oblate by 
the Minors Conventual, though with great 
difficulty, and given charge of the stable. 
He delighted to fatigue his body, which he 
called "brother donkey," by the most hum- 
ble and repulsive work. God, Who loves to 
reveal Himself to the simple, granted him 
an extraordinary gift of contemplation; his 
ecstasies were so frequent that it is said his 
feet did not touch the ground during half 
of his life. Holy Church, wisely cautious, 
sent him from convent to convent, to the 
Conventuals and Capuchins in Umbria and 
Rome to test the solidity of his virtue and 
the truth of the extraordinary favors 
granted him. Everywhere did he live a 
truly heavenly life, inflamed with divine love, 
enjoying the more God and His consolations 
because he was deprived of all that flatters 
nature. For his whole life was a long series 
of abandonment, contempt, temptations of 
the flesh and corporal and spiritual suffer- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 425 

ings. On receiving Extreme Unction he 
cried out: "What chants, what fragrance, 
what delights of heaven!" When he heard, 
in the prayers recited, the words "love of 
God," he said in a feeble voice: "Repeat it 
again, again." He died, therefore, in the 
perfect exercise of divine charity (1663). 

Prayer — Thou hast said, my God, that we 
must rejoice in the midst of difficulties and 
trials, for these are our vocation (St. Cath- 
erine of Siena). 

Practice — Raise yourself above human 
judgments without irritation or trouble. 
Does not God satisfy you? If not, you are 
indeed blind and exacting. 



SEPTEMBER 29. 

St. Michael, Archangel. 

Who is like to God? This is Michael's war- 
cry. Hell by its revolt has begun the com- 
bat; but the great archangel defends the 
rights of God with such intelligence, love 
and energy, that Lucifer, the highest of the 
angels, is conquered. Henceforth he is but 
the old serpent, the impure spirit, the father 
of lies, the universal seducer, and Michael 



426 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

enjoys his supreme rank. After having been 
the Patron of the Synagogue St. Michael is 
now invoked as Patron of the Church; he 
is also the special protector of France, 
whose vocation is to uphold the interests of 
God amongst the nations. May all the min- 
isters of Jesus Christ, may all believers in 
the midst of the present tendencies to the 
spirit of pride, presumption, independence 
and revolt, combat for the Church with as 
much energy as Michael, and as happily 
conquer. This was the privilege of Michael 
Ghislieri, Pope under the name of St. Pius 
V. It is said in his office: "This new 
Michael cast down the furious dragon in the 
fight; his strength and constancy subju- 
gated heresy and the greatness of his soul 
resisted all the powers of hell." There ex- 
ists a chaplet called the ''angelic," in honor 
of St. Michael which has received the ap- 
probation of Pius IX- 

Prayer — St. Michael, impart to my soul the 
power of God. 

Examen — What is your devotion to God's 
cause? What assistance do you give to its 
defenders? Do you fear to compromise 
yourself or to draw upon yourself the cen- 
sures of the world by appearing too good a 
Catholic, too great a friend of true doctrine 
and solid devotion? 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 427 

SEPTEMBER 30. 

St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church. 

Every one knows St. Jerome's zeal for the 
study and translation of the Holy Scriptures, 
his temptations in the desert — a consequence 
of the remembrance of pagan Rome — his 
fear of the judgments of God, his austerities, 
his energy in combating the errors of his 
time, unhesitatingly sacrificing to the rights 
of truth the inclinations of the oldest and 
liveliest friendships. But few are aware of 
the tenderness of his piety to the Infant 
Jesus, for Whose love he had fixed his abode 
in Bethlehem, the kindness of his heart to- 
wards the poor and afflicted, his zeal in lead- 
ing to perfection persons in the world who 
were generous enough to strive after entire 
detachment. St. Paula and her daughters — 
Blesilla and Eustochuim, Marcella, Melania, 
Asella, Lea, Albina, Marcellina, Felicitas; 
these were the disciples remarkable for their 
noble birth, courage and qualities of mind 
and heart, whom the firm hand of Jerome 
guided in the way of perfection. He pre- 
served his clearness of mind until his death, 
which took place when he was over eighty- 
one. He died recommending to his disciples 
the practice of humility, patience and char- 



428 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

ity. St. Augustine compares him to a planet 
enlightening both East and West (420). 
There is venerated by the same name B. 
Jerome Hermosilla, O. P., martyred in Ton- 
quin, November 1, 1861, after a laborious 
and fruitful apostolate of thirty years. 

Prayer — On my knees I saj'- every day to 
God: Remember not the faults of my youth 
(St. Jerome). 

Practice — Read something from the life of 
St. Paula, especiall}^ of her sojourn in the 
Holy Land and her devotion to Bethlehem 



3IONTH OF OCTOBER. 
First Sunday, the Most Holy Rosary. 

Take your Rosary; it is a book, a cate- 
chism, in which the profound mystery of the 
redemption of souls and their sanctification, 
is explained in fifteen striking pictures, 
which are, at the same time, serious lessons. 
Take your Rosary; it is a spiritual sword, 
with which you will victoriously fight against 
the enemies of the Faith, whether they be in- 
fidels, heretics or indifferent. Take your 
Rosary; it is a delightful garden where you 
may rest near Mar}^ from the fatigues of 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 429 

life, breathe the perfumed atmosphere of 
piety, and gather the fruits of every virtue. 
Blessed be St. Dominic, who has bequeathed 
to us this gift of Heaven's Queen, that we 
may share it with the whole world. This 
is what the General Chapters continually 
recommend: "In each convent,'' they say, 
"let there be chosen with the assistance of 
the Fathers of the Council, religious who 
are noted for prudence, devotion and piety, 
who may be the careful and assiduous prop- 
agators of a devotion so essential to us, 
and so useful to the faithful, in drawing 
down upon them the divine protection and 
in assisting them in extirpating vice." May 
these valiant Apostles of the Rosary mul- 
tiply daily and preach by their word and 
example, by the pen and the fine arts. 

Prayer — O Mary* delight of my soul, thou 
art the book wherein is written the Word 
of life; thou art the picture wherein His is 
represented and explained to us (St. Cath- 
erine of Siena).' 

Practice — On the eve and oh the day of 
the feast, try to gain as many indulgences as 
possible by repeated visits to the Rosary 
altar; but try also to gain some members 
to the Confraternity. What a service you 
will render them! 



430 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

MONTH OF OCTOBER. 
Octave Day of the Holy Rosary. 

Our Fathers., especially the legislators who 
continue in the Order the work of St. Dom- 
inic, desire the preachers of the Rosary to 
relate well founded miracles obtained 
through its recitation; but above all, to 
make the mysteries known and appreciated 
by a careful explanation: "accurata narra- 
tione evolvant." You may, by following this 
path and by applying to yourself this method, 
insensibly pass from ordinary vocal prayer 
to high contemplation. Ffrst, the simple 
fact of the mystery will strike you; soon, 
the meaning of the fact will appear; little 
by little, you will understand the spirit which 
animates it; finally, by lively faith and the 
progressive action of grace, the reality of 
the mystery will live in your heart and ani- 
mate your works — it will not be merely a 
far off but beautiful recollection. It will be 
Jesus and Mary living in you just as they 
were in the mystery. What a magnificent 
result! You are sure to attain it if you 
peacefully, attentively and regularly medi- 
tate on the Rosary, with purity of heart and 
perseverance, desiring to acquire the knowl- 
edge, love and imitation of Jesus Christ and 
His most holy Mother. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 431 

Prayer — Virgin Mary, live in me by the 
communion of your mysteries (V. M. Olier). 

Practice — See whether you habitually pro- 
pose to draw a fruit from each mystery of 
the Rosary, and if you vary these fruits ac- 
cording to the time of year, or to your own 
needs and interior dispositions. 



OCTOBER 1. 

St. Remigius, Archbishop of Rheims. 

For twelve centuries has the French nation 
venerated St. Remigius as her apostle. Be- 
fore him many of the "Franks had embraced 
Christianity, but the nation, as a whole, had 
not, nor its chief; neither was the legislation 
as yet Christian. St. Remigius gave Clovis, 
who had been converted at the battle of 
Tolbiac, his Christian education. Filled with 
a prophetic spirit, he predicted to the prince 
the extension of his kingdom and the serv- 
ices his successors would render to the Ro- 
m^n Church. He added that they would be 
blessed as long as they walked in the fear 
of God, since kingdoms are preserved by 
justice, and justice is preserved by religion. 
It is said, that on the day Clovis was bap- 
tized, the priest who carried the sacred 



432 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

chrism was unable to enter the church on 
account of the crowd; but a miraculous dove 
brought Remigius an ampulla filled with 
heavenly oil. He was always faithful to the 
simplicity and disinterestedness which were 
his marked characteristics, never using his 
influence with Clovis for personal interests, 
but only to promote those of religion and 
the poor. After having been tried by blind- 
ness towards the end of his life, he died at 
the age of ninety- ^ix (545). 

Prayer — St. Remigius, abandon us not, 
and preserve from apostasy the people so 
especially yours, by giving them bishops 
and priests worthy of you. 

Practice — Recite Psalm xix for the inten- 
tion of princes and all invested with tem- 
poral power. 



OCTOBER 3. 

The Guardian Angels. 

St. Thomas Aquinas explains at length 
and with evident delight the ministry of the 
Guardian Angels. He affirms that every man 
has his own, who is faithful till death, and 
besides this the members of a community 
have one who protects them all collectively. 
Another Doctor, St. Bernard, tells us what 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 43 



o 



the Guardian Angels do for us: "They are 
faithful, they are prudent, they are powerful; 
what should we fear?" But he also indicates 
how we should behave towards them: "You 
owe them respect, because of their presence; 
devotion, because of their benevolence; con- 
fidence, because of their protection. Do not 
have the boldness to commit in their pres- 
ence a fault you would not commit before 
me." If tribulation weighs you down, in- 
voke your guide and say: "Lord, save me, 
I perish." The lives of the saints of the 
Order are filled with incidents which prove 
the minute and affectionate protection of 
the honly angels. When Ven. Dominica del 
Paradiso was still young she was often rapt 
in ecstasy, and the angels delighted to re- 
place her in her domestic work that the 
household might not suffer from these 
heavenly favors. What will they not do for 
our spiritual progress which is of much 
more importance for the glory of God and 
eternity? 

Prayer — My good Angel, I will no longer 
sadden you, but on the contrary imitate you, 
consult you, obej^ you and console you. 

Practice — Acquire the habit of saluting the 
Guardian Angels of all who approach you, 
especially when you have to discuss some 
affair of importance with them. 

28 



434 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

OCTOBER 3. 
Bl. John Massias, C, O. P. 

From his youth Blessed John was conse- 
crated to Mar}^, and acquired the habit of 
reciting her Rosary three times a day, for 
himself, for sinners and for the holy souls. 
That he might the more truly be an exile 
here below, he left Spain, his country, and 
went to America, where he earned a liveli- 
hood as a shepherd and a servant. Attracted 
by the white habit of St. Dominic he became 
a lay brother at Lima, where he showed 
himself the Providence of the poor. He 
begged for them, served them kneeling, cut 
of respect for the dignity of God Who dwelt 
in them, and succeeded in providing every 
day for two hundred. Persons of better class 
who had fallen upon evil days were also a 
special object of his solicitude; sometimes 
Our Lady would tell him where they lived 
that he might give them assistance. Being 
porter, he was at times unable to assist at 
the "Salva Regina"; instead of giving way 
to grief he consoled himself by kneeling 
down and singing it alone. He also had a 
great devotion to holy water; each time he 
took it he experienced special consolation. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 435 

His severity was only for himself, a charac- 
teristic of the saints, and after his death a 
large iron chain was found encircling his 
body (1641). 

,Prayer — Alas! Lord, when will sin have 
an end, when wilt Thou cease to be out- 
raged? (B. John Massias). 

Examen — Have you a supernatural love 
for the poor, that is to say a love based upon 
faith; tender, because they are your breth- 
ren; patient, because their condition ag- 
gravates the faults common to human na- 
ture; efifective, for true charity is not sat- 
isfied with compassionating but finds means 
to relieve. 



OCTOBER 4. 

St. Francis of Assist. 

The great Patriarch Francis, the powerful 
defender of the Church, the indefatigable 
and eloquent propagator of the evangelical 
spirit, and the cordial friend of Dominic, 
whose children the Friars Preachers ven- 
erate on this account, saw in a dream, 
a palace filled with arms marked with a 
cross; these arms were for him and his fol- 
lowers. Valiantly did he combat the love of 



436 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

worldly possessions. No miser had ever a 
greater passion for riches than he for pov- 
erty; he called it his mother, his spouse, his 
lad}^, and wept to see it so despised. His 
favorites were the poor, his brethren of pre- 
dilection the lepers; so much beauty did he 
discern in their wounds that he could not 
restrain himself from kissing them. To per- 
petuate these traditions and this love of 
poverty, God has, for the last six centuries, 
multiplied by thousands throughout the 
world, the disciples and children of the poor 
man of Assisi, Friars Minors, Capuchins, 
Conventuals, Poor Clares, Tertiaries of dif- 
ferent classes all make it their joy to depend 
upon Providence without any other resource. 
This great Patriarch died at the age of forty- 
five, saying: "Farewell, my dear children, 
remain constant in the fear of God. You 
will be tried by great temptations, be firm 
in your resolutions'' (1226). 

Prayer — Let us love God and serve Him 
with great purity of mind and heart (Letter 
addressed by St. Francis "to all Christians 
in the whole world, clerks, religious, lay- 
men, men and women"). 

Practice — Receive with affection the sons 
of St. Francis, and when you meet them in 
the street let their appearance preach you 
a silent lesson. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 437 

OCTOBER 5. 

Bl. Raymund of Capua, C, O. P. 

Raymund's was a noble, sensitive, delicate 
and even timid soul, made strong by the 
sense of justice and duty. Our Blessed Lady 
destined him for the confessor, and at the 
same time, the spiritual son of St. Catherine 
of Siena, whose wonderful character and 
friendship made him so bold, yet gentle and 
powerful in the government of the Order, 
and so universally beloved. During the 
twenty years of his Generalate, his one am- 
bition was to restore to their primitive per- 
fection the regular and monastic observances 
of our holy Institute. His method was to 
group together in special convents, under 
his own patronage, those religious who will- 
ingly embraced the reform, and to consti- 
tute in time fervent congregations and then 
regular provinces. His health did not allow 
him to practice all he recommended to 
others, particularly fasting and abstinence; 
whilst he deplored this and humbled himself, 
he did not neglect to remind all of their duty. 
His devotion to the Holy See, then unhap- 
pily rent by schism, was so great that Urban 
VI called him "his head, his eyes, his mouth. 



438 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

his tongue, his hands and his feet." He died 
at Nuremberg, his bod}^ racked by suffering 
and his heart steeped in bitterness through 
the trials of the Church (1399). 

Prayer — I commend to Thee, my God, him 
by whose ministry Thou givest Thyself to 
me. Give Thyself also to him; renew him 
interiorly and exteriorly (St. Catherine of 
Siena referring to Blessed Raymund). 

Practice — Pray for the director of your 
soul that God may give him light, strength 
and unction. 



OCTOBER 6. 

St. Bruno, C. 

St. Bruno's success in Germany as a pro- 
fessor of philosophy and theology was very 
great. Having learnt, by divine revelation, 
of the damnation of one of his friends whom 
every one regarded as very virtuous, he was 
seized with a lively fear of the judgments of 
God. To prepare for a holy end, he buried 
himself, with six companions, in the desert 
of the Chartreuse. Here he laid the founda- 
tions of his Order, which is entirely devoted 
to the contemplation of divine things, and 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 439 

gives earth a faint outline of heaven. The 
Divine Office occupies a great part of both 
day and night; silence is perpetual, and ab- 
stinence so rigid that even illness does not 
dispense from it (1101). The opinion that 
St. Dominic took steps to become a Car- 
thusian is contestable; but there is a cer- 
tain affinity between the two Orders in the 
devotion to the beautiful monastic observ- 
ances, fidelity to ancient traditions, simplicity 
and rigor of piety. The Carthusian life is 
the only one a Friars Preacher has the right 
to embrace as being more perfect. By mail- 
ing use of this right — not from inconstancy, 
but following the leading of grace — a learned 
Dominican sanctified himself and enlightened 
the Church — Ludolph the Carthusian, the 
author of a beautiful life of Jesus Christ. 

Prayer — Our soul hath been delivered as 
a sparrow out of the net of the fowler; the 
snare is broken and we are set free (Words 
of Psalm cxxiii, especially dear to St. 
Bruno). 

Practice — In the course of conversation, 
withdraw from time to time into your own 
soul, to moderate your eagerness, to speak 
to God or to listen to Him. 



440 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

OCTOBER 7. 

Bl. Matthew Oarreri, C, O. P. 

The devotion of the Friars Preachers at 
Mantua during the Divine Office, first gave 
Bl. Matthew the idea of entering the Order. 
He practiced great austerities, which, how- 
ever, he diminished by obedience. He was 
especially remarkable for a lively horror of 
vainglory, which he justly defined as the sub- 
tle vice, for it imperceptibly penetrates the 
soul, and the more one has of it the less one 
sees it. In choir he often seemed as' if in 
ecstasy, at Mass he frequently wept from 
joy or compunction. The rest of the time, 
'the better to observe silence, he remained 
in his cell, which he only left for the pulpit. 
In this ministry his influence was so great 
that a young lady named Lucina, unhappily 
notorious in the country for her scandalous 
life, was instantly and entirely converted by 
one of his sermons. Impelled by a feeling 
of' heroic compassion, he one day offered 
himself as a slave to a brigand, to deliver a 
mother and her daughter. The man filled 
with admiration, let go his prey and gave 
the Blessed his liberty. His desire of par- 
ticipating in the Passion of Jesus was 
granted; his heart seemed pierced with a 
dart, and the sufterings resulting therefrom 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 443 

ended his life, which was already exhausted 
by his apostolic labors. In his agony, he 
asked the prior for his consolation, to order 
him to die by obedience (1470). 

Prayer — Lord Jesus, penetrate my heart 
with contrition, light and love, that self may 
cease to torment and degrade me. 

Practice — Intercede in favor of some op- 
pressed person, and pray for prisoners. 



OCTOBER 8. 

St. Bridget, Widow. 

At the age of ten, after hearing a sermon 
on the Passion, St. Bridget had a vision of 
Our Lord on the Cross. From that time 
she could not think of the mysteries of the 
Passion without shedding tears. In remem- 
brance of the gall which was given to Our 
Lord, she, every Friday, filled her mouth 
with a bitter herb; she likewise performed 
the same penance whenever she happened 
to speak too hastily. Her extraordinary 
revelations have justly rendered her cele- 
brated. The learned and pious Cardinal 
John Torrecremata, O. P., the great bene- 
factor of the Minerva, was entrusted with 
the examination of St. Bridget's revelations. 



442 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

which he both admired and defended. God 
Himself ordered the saint to proceed to 
Rome to uphold the cause of Holy Church, 
endangered by schism and the decay of 
Christian morality; St. Catherine of Siena 
was also generously laboring for the same 
end and at the same time. Bridget had em- 
braced the married state and was blessed by 
God, for she had a daughter who became 
St. Catherine of Sweden. She had also an- 
other family — she founded an Order of Sis- 
ters called Brigittines; it was prescribed 
for them, as a silent lesson, to keep an open 
tomb in the monastery and a bier ctt the 
entrance of the choir (.1373). 

Prayer — St. Bridget, obtain for us under- 
standing of the mysteries of the Passion. 

Practice — Every Friday impose some pen- 
ance upon yourself, in union with the suffer- 
ings of Christ 



OCTOBER 9. 

St. Denis and Companions, MM. 

St. Denis was the chief of the pagan phi- 
losophers called Areopagites. Witnessing 
the eclipse of the sun at the death of Our 
Lord he cried out: "Either the God of na- 
ture suffers, or the world is coming to an 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 443 

end!" He was converted by the preaching 
of St. Paul. When he first saw our Blessed 
Lady, as he himself declares, so great v/as 
his admiration at her majestic presence that 
he would have adored her as a divine being 
had not faith taught him otherwise. Accord- 
ing to a trustworthy tradition, this same 
Denis suffered martyrdom at Paris where 
he had preached the Faith by order of Pope 
St. Clement; he likewise erected in that 
city four oratories, in honor of the Most 
Holy Trinity, Our Blessed Lady, Saints 
Peter and Paul, and St. Stephen, proto- 
martyr (109). St. Thomas Aquinas often 
quotes the w^orks of Denis the Areopagite, 
adding: "Denis was a disciple of St. Paul, 
whose visions he is said to have written. If 
his books are obscure in style this was done 
intentionally, not to expose the divine dog- 
mas to the derision of heretics." * * * 
Sometimes he employs many expressions 
which seem superfluous, but when we scru- 
tinize them more closely we perceive that 
they hide great depth of thought." 

Prayer — Virgin Mary, may I contemplate 
in prayer thy interior beauty. 

Practice — Make reparation for all the sins 
against faith which are committed in Paris 
and other large towns. 



444 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

OCTOBER 10. 

St. Louis Bertrand, C, O. P. 

Being unable to enter the Order as soon 
as he would have wished, on account of his 
parents' opposition, St. Louis used to con- 
sole himself by watering the orange trees in 
the cloister, considering them happy to be 
constantly in St. Dominic's house. At last 
he was able to take the holy habit. The 
marked characteristic of his spiritual life 
was the fear of the Lord, whence resulted a 
lively horror of the smallest faults. The 
greater part of his early years was spent in 
penance and tears. But the more he feared 
God the less he cared for human judgments; 
and he placed these words of St. Paul on 
the door of his cell: "If I pleased men I 
should not be the servant of Christ." He 
held for many years the ofidce of novice 
master; the novices loved him as a father, 
feared him as a judge, and venerated him 
as a saint. St. Teresa consulted him on her 
reform, and he replied in these prophetic 
words: "I assure you on the part of God, 
that within fifty years, your religion will be 
one of the most illustrious in the Church of 
God." He evangelized the West Indies and 
worked marvellous conversions, his preach- 
ing being confirmed bj^ innumerable mir- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 445 

acles; but he returned to Spain, unable to 
tolerate the inhuman conduct of certain 
Spanish officers towards the poor Indians, 
which caused them to hold the Catholic re- 
ligion in abhorrence (1581). 

.Prayer — Alas! what account can I render 
of the graces of my Saviour? (St. Louis 
Bertrand). 

Practice — Examine whether vou are not 
too sensitive to human judgments, and 
whether you neglect on that account to per- 
form your duties exactly. 



OCTOBER 11. 

Ven. Timothy Ricci, C, O. P., Apostle of 
the Perpetual Rosary. 

His eloquence, sufficiently mediocre, be- 
came truly remarkable when discussing and 
following the indications of grace. He set 
himself to preach the Rosary in a popular 
manner. At times he caused it to be gravely 
chanted in two choirs by the faithful, or he 
taught them to say it with the family at 
home. At Bologna, during the plague, he 
had it recited most fruitfully on the threshold 
of the church, so that it might be followed 



446 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

not only by all the faithful assembled within, 
but also by the sick gathered together in the 
square. These precious results inspired him 
with the idea of organizing everywhere the 
perpetual recitation of the Rosary, which 
he did with such success that he got as 
man}^ as sixteen persons inscribed for each 
hour although the associates were charged 
with one hour only in the year, and this 
made a total of 140,200 associates. Several 
miracles rewarded his zeal; but the sweet- 
est reward bestowed upon him was to die 
with the greatest confidence in Mary (1643). 
Since then the perpetual monthly Rosary is 
the form recognized as best, thanks to its 
good organization, and this has been ex- 
tended the furthest throughout the world. 
Pius IX has enriched it with very precious 
spiritual graces, and Leo XIII, so justly 
styled the "Pope of the Rosary," has recom- 
mended it in an Encyclical in these terms: 
"We bless it, and desire supremely that the 
sacred pastors should encourage its growth 
with all their hearts." 

Prayer — Mary, bless the families where 
the Rosary is recited in common. 

Practice — Say fifteen "Hail Marys" for 
the preachers and zelatrices of the Perpet- 
ual Rosary. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 447 

OCTOBER 13. 

Bl. James of Ulm, C, O. P. 

He came to Rome from Germany out of 
devotion to the City of Martyrs; then he 
served during four years as a soldier at 
Naples in the army of Alphonsus of Arra- 
gon. He next attached himself to our 
Fathers at Bologna, among whom he en- 
tered as a simple lay brother, although he 
was a man of letters and possessed a re- 
markable talent for painting. Before his 
profession, in his humility he besought the 
brothers on his knees not to drive him away 
on account of his crimes. He excelled in 
the love of work and in obedience, virtues 
essential to a lay brother. It is related that 
receiving a sudden command to set out for 
a distant monastery, he did not even stop 
to remove from the oven the painted glass 
which he had placed there. God was pleased 
to bless his obedience and the glass was pre- 
served in all its beauty. Having reached the 
end of eighty years of life, feeling his last 
moments had arrived, he placed himself in 
the pious and modest attitude he wished to 
preserve after death, and expired in peace. 



448 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

He left behind him in the cloister two in- 
heritors of his talent and his methods as a 
painter on glass — Brother Ambrogino and 
Brother Anastasio, faithful imitators also of 
his beautiful virtues (1491). 

Prayer — Blessed James, obtain for me that 
I may put the love of labor above my ease, 
but obedience above labor and all things else. 

Practice — ^When you come to Holy Mass 
regard yourself as unworth}'- to be present, 
and say with the publican in the Temple: 
"Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner!" 



OCTOBER 13. 

Bl. Romens Catalan, C, O. P. 

This holy man was simple and unaffected 
in appearance with an attractive counte- 
nance; grace was stamped on every feature. 
His principal devotion was to the mystery 
of the Incarnation. He used to recite this 
verse of Psalm cxxvi with particular delight: 
''Cum dederit dilectis suis somnum: ecce 
haereditas Domini filii merces fructus ven- 
tris" — ''The Lord will give tranquil sleep to 
His beloved; sons shall be the inheritance 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 449 

of the Lord — ^that is to say, benefits which 
come down to earth through Mary*s womb." 
In the Office of the Blessed Virgin, which 
he recited every day with one of his breth- 
ren, if it happened that this verse fell to his 
companion, he, as it were, surprised it from 
his lips and hastened to be the first to say it. 
He died, holding in his hand a cord with one 
thousand knots, on which he recited daily 
one thousand "Ave Marias," accompanying 
them often with as many genuflections. He 
has composed many pious works in prose 
and verse. The glorious surname has been 
bestowed upon him of "The Friend of Jesus 
and Mary." His relics were venerated as 
those of a saint in the Convent of Carcas- 
onne until the sacrilegious ravages of the 
great Revolution. He is still invoked in 
Languedoc to obtain rain (About 1300). 

Prayer — My God, may my life be all for 
Christ; my death a tranquil sleep, and 
Heaven my inheritance. 

Practice — Examine whether you are sim- 
ple in appearance, without affectation or neg- 
ligence so that you may inspire those around 
you with a love of virtue. 



29 



450 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

OCTOBER 14. 

^*B1. Magdalene of Trino, V., T., O. P. 

^; Blessed Magdalene as a true Tertiary ob- 
served even in childhood great modesty in 
dress, conversations and looks. She re- 
ceived the gift of prophecy from heaven, and 
^participation in Our Saviour's Passion. 
But it is more to the purpose to look upon 
her as a model in her zeal for the conver- 
sion of sinners, and in her care of the sick. 
In procuring for these latter all the relief 
possible she, taught them also at the same 
time to love their trials for the sake of God; 
a favor far more precious than all her care 
tor their well-being. She prayed much for 
Italy, then overwhelmed with miseries, and 
seeing that God was about to strike her 
country, she obtained that at least he would 
spare her native city. She knew the day of 
her death three years before it took place, 
and prepared for it by redoubling her fervor 
and praying up to the end for her Order 
and her country. She had always been re- 
markable for her devotion to the Hcly Name 
bf Jesus, and it was in a chapel under this 
title belonging to the Fathers, that she gen- 
erally followed the conventual Office. Be- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 451 

fore dying she wished to sing the hymn 
'^Jesti nostra redemptio" with those who 
were around her death-bed. She sent for 
the Tertiaries- to' bid them farewell, recom- 
mending them to observe fidelity to the Rule 
and practice chanty among themselves. Her 
last words were those of Jesus upon the 
Cross: *'In manus tuas Domine commendo 
spiritum meum" (1503). .cjn.::: 

Prayer — My God, turn Thy wrath frgm; my 
country. ...^ ...j,| r- ,.. 

Practice — Examine how you observe 
silence and modesty in your comportment, 
in'church, either out of respect lor God or 
from the desire of giving edification. 

— : — — . 'A 'i^-imomiy 

OCTOBER 15. 

St. Teresa of Avila. ^ 

jHer ardent, noble and' sensitive heart was 
,f6r a long time divided between grace and 
nature. Love of romances and w^orldly con- 
versations threatened to lead her soul utterly 
astray. But prayer, in which she rarely failed 
to persevere, although neglecting herself in 
other points, enabled her to overcome that 



■3. 



452 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

danger. Thus she guaranteed the salvation 
of a faithful soul by adhering to a quarter 
of an hour's prayer every day. Her admir- 
able writings have caused her to be regarded 
as the "Doctor of Prayer," and her works 
on regular observance have earned for her 
the title of the Reformer of Carmel, or 
rather, the Foundress of the- Discalced Car- 
melites. An angel pierced her heart with 
the love of God by means of a flaming dart^ 
and Jesus Christ said to her: "Henceforth 
as a true spouse thou shalt devote thyself 
to My honor." Far from complaining of 
her great sufferings, she would say, "To 
suffer or die." We know that among her 
different confessors, seventeen were chosen 
by her from the Order of St. Dominic, 
amongst others the Fathers Dominic Banes, 
Peter Ybagnes, Ferdinand of Castille and 
Melchior Cano the great ascetic writer, but 
who must not be confused with the famous 
theologian of the same name. It was the 
proof of the esteem in which she held the 
character of the Friars Preachers, and the 
soundness of their mystical doctrine, hence 
she was wont to say, "I am a Dominican at 
heart" — "Dominica passione." St. Pius V 
favored her reform, and Benedict XIH 
sanctioned the feast of the "Transverbera- 
tion of her heart" (1582). 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 453 

Prayer — Every one is advancing towards 
perfection; it is only myself who am good 
for nothing! (St. Teresa). 

Practice — Never ask to be dispensed from 
meditation, except in extreme necessity, and 
then make up for it as best you can. 



OCTOBER 16. 

Fr. Reginald Cavanac, C, O. P. 

In receiving Blessed Reginald of Orleans 
for his patron at the time of his entrance 
into the Order, he also inherited his devo- 
tion to Mary; and the prapagation of the 
Rosary was the constant object of his efforts. 
He composed a little work by which he 
expressed each mystery in verse, to en- 
grave it the better in the minds of all, even 
of children, following it up as by a picture, 
with a short but striking meditation. In 
the confessional he profited by the practice 
which has been attributed also to St. Dom- 
inic, of giving the Rosary to be recited as a 
penance; for he esteemed this practice very 
useful to the Christian soul both in correct- 
ing faults and in acquiring virtues, with that 
advantage which is so desirable in a pen- 
ance of being more a medicine than a pun- 
ishment. Mary encouraged his zeal by a 



454 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

vision in which she bestowed some' beads 
of the Rosary on all who approached her, 
permitting them at the same time to kiss 
her virginal hand. He also composed sev- 
eral dialogues for the consolation of the 
sick, and was greatly rewarded for this zeal 
in his last moments, for he was heard to 
cry out with great delight: "My heart is in 
Heaven, my spirit is with God!" and he 
died saying devoutly : O good Jesus, be to 
me a Saviour!" (1618). 

Prayer — My sweet Mother, all that I have 
done for you is nothing in comparison with 
what I owe you (Ven. Fr. Reginald). 

Practice — Do you say your sacramental 
penance with attention, exactitude and com- 
punction, always finding it= whatever it may 
be, too light for your faults? 



OCTOBER 17. 

Bl. Margaret Mary Alacoque. 

The Son of God destined her to be the 
apostle of the devotion to His Sacred Heart, 
the source, the symbol of His love; a devo- 
tion which St. Catherine of Siena, three cen- 
turies before, had so much appreciated and 
exalted. For she was endowed not only 
with a holy disposition of mind and soul 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 455 

penetrated by its influence, but even the real- 
ity of the Heart of Jesus so that she no 
longer said: *'Lord, I commend to Thee my 
heart, but Thy Heart." Jesus wished that 
Margaret Mary should also know the good- 
ness of His Heart, and understand how nec- 
essary is His support to the poor human 
heart often so evil, always so weak. The 
greatness of her revelations enlightened her 
on the first of these things; the greatness 
of her trials, exterior and interior, made her 
keenly aware of the second. But the bitter 
waters of tribulation far from extinguishing 
her charity, augmented its ardor. Her zeal 
for the glory of Jesus became as a fire, 
which is still happily burning in many souls. 
When dying she said to her Sisters: "Never 
have I known how to love God perfectly; 
ask Him to pardon me. What happiness to 
love God^ ah, what happiness! Love this 
Love,, but love Him perfectly" (1690). 

Prayeir — -Let your heart be like a lamp, 
narrow below on the world's side, wide 
above on the side of Jesus Christ (St. Cath- 
erine of Siena). 

Practice — Enter into the Heart of Jesus 
three times a day: the morning to pay Him 
your homage of adoration; midday to make 
your petitions; the evening to return Him 
thanks (Bl. Margaret Mary). 



456 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

OCTOBER 18. 

St. liuke, Evangelist. 

St. Luke, a doctor by profession, was con- 
verted by the preaching of Jesus Christ. He 
became one of His disciples, and after the 
death of his Master was the companion of 
St. Paul in the Apostolate. His Gospel gives 
us intimate details on the mysteries of the 
Incarnation, Visitation and the Priesthood 
of Jesus Christ which are not mentioned by 
the other Evangelists. Hence he is repre- 
sented with an ox, which signifies the vic- 
tim of sacrifice. It is believed that he had 
the happiness of enjoying the intimacy of 
the Blessed Virgin and obtained certain de- 
tails from her, which she alone could have 
furnished him. He is also the author of 
the Acts of the Apostles, which, after the 
Gospel, is the most precious account of the 
beginnings of Christianity. As he had ac- 
quired the art of painting, he profited by this 
talent to paint the portrait of Jesus, and sev- 
eral times that of Our Lady. Certain au- 
thors afifirm that the celebrated picture 
transferred by St. Dominic from the Traste- 
vere to St. Sixtus was one of St. Luke's 
Madonna's. Others declare it to be Acher- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 457 

Ophites, which means not painted by the 
hand of man, that is, by miracle. The most 
celebrated of St. Luke's Madonnas is held 
in groat veneration at Rome in the Basilica 
of St. Mary Major (First century). 

Prayer — O Virgin Mary, grant that I may 
resemble you in prudence and affability. 

Practice — Read the fourth chapter of the 
Acts of the Apostles, in particular from the 
eighth to the twelfth verse, which shows 
Jesus as the Corner-stone and only Saviour. 



OCTOBER 19. 

St Peter of Alcantara. 

St. Peter of Alcantara was the promoter 
in the Franciscan Order, already so poor, of 
a particularly rigid poverty, hence the name 
of "Alcantarines" given to those who ob- 
served it; their cells were like tombs with 
such a narrow door that it was hardly pos- 
sible to enter. In matters of purity he had 
an extreme sensitiveness, even in illness. He 
made this compact with his body — not to 
allow it any repose upon earth, and he kept 
his word. To wear coarse and uncomfort- 



458 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOISIINICANS. 

able clothes, to travel barefoot, and to brave 
snow and frost bareheaded was not suffi- 
cient for him, he added frightful penances 
to this series of austerities. He was a great 
advocate of mental prayer, convinced as he 
was that it should go hand in hand with 
mortification, and he disseminated abroad 
the Treatise of Louis of Granada on this im- 
portant subject with so much zeal, that cer- 
tain authors have by mistake attributed it 
to him.. St. Teresa received much valuable 
encouragement from him, at a time when 
her reform was blamed on all sides as ill- 
advised and a cause of trouble. After his 
death he appeared to her in glory saying: 
''O happy penance which has merited so 
great a reward" (1565). 

Prayer — Without mortification, no Christi- 
anity; the way is rough, but it leads to 
heaven (St. Peter Alcantara). 

Practice — Examine if you have that hu- 
man prudence which under false pretenses 
leads us to take an exaggerated care of our 
health, and does not scriiple to make us 
burdensome to others, either in letting all 
the work fall to them, or in exacting from 
them excessive attention, sometimes even 
to an absurd degree. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 450 

OCTOBER 20. 

Bl. John of Vicenza, C, O. P. 

He once heard St. Dominic preach at 
Padua, and that was enough to decide him 
to enter the Order. His eloquence subju- 
gated all hearts; attracted them, tamed 
them, delighted them, so that he did with 
them what he willed. He strongly censured 
usurers who made their fortune through 
ruining poor families. The malice of Satan, 
then blinding the nations, precipitated them 
into war, when blood flowed in torrents and 
countless souls were lost for eternity. 
Deeply moved at this spectacle. Blessed John 
began to preach the cause of peace with such 
persuasive energy that he was made arbi- 
trator by the respective enemies in their 
quarrels, who yielded to his counsels.' It was 
he who introduced the custom of saluting in 
the streets the name of Jesus Christ as a 
sign of peace and charity. He was always 
regarded as a saint, both in life and after 
death, and was compared by historians to 
St. Anthony of Padua, his contemporary. 
The Sovereign Pontiffs have allowed his 
miracles to be published, and even permit- 
ted his picture to be exposed to the venera- 
tion of the people. The place of his death 



460 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

is not known, which gives rise to the con- 
jecture that he died in the prisons of Padua 
5y the cruelty of the tyrant Eccelino, who 
was afraid of his powers of preaching; others 
think he perished among the inlidels, to 
whom he would have gone to preach the 
Gospel when finding Europe rebellious to 
his voice and fallen into an incurable indif- 
ference by the abuse of grace (Thirteenth 
century). 

Prayer — My God, my God, when shall I 
overcome my dominant passion which dis- 
turbs my peace of soul? 

Practice — Form the habit of making an 
examination of conscience after the repast 
or midday recreation. 



OCTOBER 21. 

St. Ursula and Her Companions, MM. 

This noble daughter of the King of Corn- 
wall had embarked at London with eleven 
thousand virgins, all destined to marry sol- 
diers of Great Britain, who had become the 
masters of Amorica. A contrary wind hav- 
ing stranded their vessels on the coast of 
Germany, then occupied by the Huns, those 
ferocious men tried to outrage the innocent 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 461 

virgins, and as they preferred to lose their 
life rather than their chastity, they were all 
massacred. Thus, as the Church sings, "they 
whitened their robes in the blood of the 
Lamb'' (About 383). St. Angela of Merici 
placed the religious of her Order under the 
protection of the heroic Ursula and her 
companions, hence, they are called Ursulines. 
The tomb of St. Ursula is preserved at Co- 
logne, also the arrow by which she was 
pierced. Under her patronage the Ven. Sis- 
ter Ursula Luzzani entered the Dominican 
Convent of St. Cecilia at Faenza. Being 
young and beautiful, she sought at iirst only 
for human love, marriage, luxury and van- 
ity; but an apparition of Mary changed her 
completely, and triumphing over the violent 
opposition of her brother, she became a 
model of poverty, chastity and silence in 
the cloister (1572). 

Prayer — In perfect charity, let us be 
filled with the ardor of continency, leaving 
leprosy to the leprous and embracing the 
angelic state. Let us not wait for old age, 
but give the flower of our youth to God (St. 
Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Offer Holy Communion for the 
Ursuline nuns and for all Sisters who are 
toiling to impart the Christian spirit in far- 
ofif missions. 



462 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

OCTOBER 32. 
Bl. Peter of Tiferno, C, O. P. 

Fearing that the devil, who takes great 
satisfaction in perverting innocent souls, 
would rob him of the treasure of his virgin- 
ity, which he had carefully guarded since his 
childhood, he came for safety to our Convent 
of Tiferno at the age of fifteen. Here, to 
tread more effectually under his feet his no- 
bility of birth, he undertook the care of the 
sick and poor, and also the task of begging 
through the town, an exercise of humility 
and penance in which he found his delight. 
Being a great upholder of justice, and seeing 
two innocent victims dragged to the place 
of execution, he interfered on their behalf 
and succeeded in obtaining their deliverance. 
God gave to his words an irresistible power, 
which was confirmed by the gifts of miracles 
and prophecy. One day meeting a young 
man who was secretly deliberating upon a 
great crime, he hastened to reprehend him, 
warning him to be prepared to die the next 
day. And, indeed, the culprit was stricken 
down by an unforeseen illness which brought 
him in a few hours to the grave, allowing 
him time, however, to call Blessed Peter and 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 463 

to receive from his hands the last sacra- 
ments as a worthy preparation for eternity. 
Peter of Tiferno is represented holding a 
skull, because preoccupied with the thought 
of death he often held one when preaching 
or praying (1445). 

Prayer — How shall I be able, O my God, 
to glorify Thee before my death to the con- 
tentment of my desires? (Bl. Henry Suso). 

-Practice — Put a picture that will remind 
you of the salutary thought of death in 
your prayer-book or room. 



OCTOBER 23. 

Bl. Bartholomew of Braganza. 

He was remarked even in the novitiate 
to have followed to the letter the exhorta- 
tions and example of St. Dominic, whose 
disciple he was. As he had an extraordinary 
gift for preaching and a singular grace for 
allaying dissentions, Gregory IX called him 
to Rome and consulted him in the difficult 
affairs of the government of the Church. 
On returning from England where he had 
been sent in the interests of the faith, he 



464 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

stopped at Paris, and delivered some com- 
mentaries on the works of St. Denis the 
Areopagite which he afterwards published. 
St. Louis, who had known and appreciated 
him in Syria during the Crusades, bestowed 
on him a mark of his esteem and veneration, 
which he would not have accorded to all 
the Princes of Italy united together, when 
he gave him a thorn from Our Lord's 
Crown. To show his gratitude and joy, Bl. 
Bartholomew dedicated the Cbnvent of his 
Order w^hich he had built at Vicenzo, his 
natal city, to the Crown of Thorns. Having 
been consecrated bishop about 1246 by Inno- 
cent IV, he desired to be buried in this 
sanctuary, asking that his tomb might be 
base and humble, thus wishing to imitate 
his father St. Dominic, who, as is well 
known, had asked to be buried under the 
feet of his brethren (1270). 

Prayer — O Jesus, if I am not strong 
enough to bear Thy entire Crown, grant 
that I may at least accept with love the 
thorns which Thou dost especially choose 
for me. 

Practice — Ask counsel willingly, above all 
in spiritual matters, which are the most — 
we may say the only important matters and 
in which we are naturally most blind. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 465 

OCTOBER 24. 

St. Kaphael, Archangel. 

. Admire the good services rendered by St. 
Raphael to Tobias and his famii}^ 1. While 
Tobias prayed, wept, and buried the dead, 
Raphael carried his prayers quickly to 
heaven. 2. As all the members of Tobias' 
family were pleasing to God, it was necessary 
that they should be tried, since it is the law 
of Providence; but the Archangel supported 
them in their tribulations, inspiring them 
with confidence and resignation, and in the 
end filled them with joy. 3. After this favor 
he reminded his charges of that which is 
too often forgotten, the duty of gratitude to 
God, who is the first author of every grace, 
and he said to them: "It is the Lord who 
has sent me, bless Him, and relate all His 
wonders." The name of the holy Arch- 
angel was worthily borne by the Ven. 
Raphaela of Faenza, who with great vigi- 
lance and wisdom directed the Sisters of the 
monastery of Prato, extending her solicitude 
in perilous days even to their relations. She 
died in peace, her heart overflowing with 
gratitude, when she had seen the young 
Catherine de Ricci clothed in the habit of 

30 



466 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

the professed, whose merits and graces her 
penetrating glance had long before dis- 
cerned (1547). 

Prayer — St. Raphael, protect from all peril 
of soul and body the young men and young 
girls who are without support in the world. 

Practice — x\cconiplish your works of zeal 
modesty and with great vigilance; the re- 
proach of creatures is a reward; the look and 
approbation of God are sufif^icient for you. 



OCTOBER 35. 

Bl. Genevieve of Siena, W., T., O. P. 

Genevieve's father, a man of noble birth 
but addicted to pleasure, after having con- 
sumed all his substance, was guilty of homi- 
cide, and hence obliged to escape from 
Genoa. He took refuge in Siena. He there 
confided his daughter to the Sisters of the 
Third Order, then under the direction of the 
B. Nerea Tolomei, a soul of great sanctity, 
long formed in the school of misfortune. 
Genevieve received in this school all that 
marks a good Dominican education— solid 
instruction, true and simple piety devoid of 
sentiment; a character upright; sweet and 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 467 

equable; manners dignified and amiable, and 
a good understanding which enabled her to 
make the union between the ancient Christian 
virtues and the practical duties of the times 
both lasting and profitable. Nothing short 
of this preparation would have preserved 
the young girl faithful henceforward to God. 
The ruin of her patrimony obliged her to be 
married to a silk-weaver, and he gave 
credence to a horrible calumny against her, 
despite the conscientious care she took in 
her household duties. He went so far as to 
attack her one day dagger in hand, but 
seeing her on her knees in an attitude of 
calm supplication, he spared her life, and 
soon after, the w^oman who calumniated her, 
confessed to her crime. Becoming a widow, 
our Sister asked for the habit of the Third 
Order, which she received from the hands 
of Bl. Ambrose of Siena. Henceforth num- 
berless infirmities afflicted her; prayer was 
her bread, her repose, her remedy, day and 
night. Before dying she convoked the 
Tertiaries to address them in an aflt'ectionate 
exhortation. She possessed the gift of 
proprecy and miracles (1287). 

Prayer — My Jesus, enlighten me as to the 
utility of daily trials and contradictions. 

Practice- — Every morning make the offer- 
ing of the whole day, actions and sufferings. 



468 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

OCTOBER 26. 

Bl. Damian of Finario, C, O. P. 

He was born at Finario, a little town in 
Liguria, so called as certain authors affirm, 
on account of the fine, healthy air. lie 
was still a child when a madman robbed him 
from his family. After much vain search, 
Heaven, who had particular designs on him, 
caused him to be found in a miraculous man- 
ner. Having entered the Order of St. Dom- 
inic, he practiced during his novitiate that 
perfect justice which is the assemblage of 
all virtues. Establishing as the basis a pro- 
found humility he received very high super- 
natural lights from continual prayer, forti- 
fying himself by abstinence and attaining an 
ardent charity for God and his neighbor. He 
composed in a short space of time, in the 
midst of many toils, different works full of 
unction. But this labor in his cell, and the 
lights acquired there by him, so augmented 
his zeal that a wider tield was necessary to 
it, that of mission work. To this he wholly 
consecrated and expended himself until his 
death (1184). Another glory of the Convent 
of Finario was the Venerable Fr. Vincent, 
contemporary of Blessed Damian and who 
long governed the Province of Lombardy: 
a discreet and just man, ready to support 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 469 

the weak, prompt to encourage the good, 
but very severe in repressing proud and in- 
solent spirits. He knew the pernicious as- 
cendency which they can acquire by their 
intrigues and audacity if they are not cor- 
rected in time, or at least reduced to pow- 
erlessness. 

Prayer — Blessed Damian, make me com- 
pletely master of sensuality in the use of 
food. 

Practice — Examine if it can be said of you 
as was said of Blessed Damian, that you are 
never wanting in the observance of the Rule. 



OCTOBER 27. 

Ven. Peter of Tapia, B., O. P. 

When he was sub-novice master he deliv- 
ered one of his novices who had gone out 
without his scapular from a demoniacal pos- 
session. In his post of professor at the Uni- 
versity of Alcala he was a model of humility 
and poverty, never allowing any one to 
sweep his cell or light his lamp, and often 
said to the lay brother: "Oh, how willingly 
would I change with you!" His nomination 
to the Archbishopric of Seville gave free 



470 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

scope to his enlightened and far-reaching 
zeal. He preached by preference on market- 
days; and readily heard the confessions of 
the common people, and to set the example 
of fidelity to the Sacraments he would go 
openly to confession himself in the Cathe- 
dral. His delight was to meet the students 
and induce them to practice virtue. In his 
last moments he caused the Rosary to be 
recited by alternate choirs, and died saying: 
''Unus et Trinus, Trinus et Unus" — "One 
God in Three Persons; Three Persons in 
qne God." This he did in order to drive 
away temptations against the mystery of the 
Holy Trinity. Mild and steadfast to the end 
he said to the priests gathered round his 
death-bed: "Love one another as I have 
loved you"; and he boldly fulminated ex- 
communication against those magistrates 
who usurped the rights of the Church. They 
wished to help him in signing it. "No," he 
said, "for that I shall find strength enough" 
(1657). 

Prayer — "O Eternal God, August Trinity! 
the compassion which gave birth to mercy 
is natural to Thee!" 

Practice — Do not let others do what you 
can do yourself (Familiar maxim of St. 
Dominic and which he was the first to 
practice). 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 471 

OCTOBER 28. 

SS. Simon and Jude, Called Thaddeus, 

Apostles. 

St. Simon, according to St. Augustine, 
drew up that article of the Symbol of Faith 
concerning the Holy Catholic Church; St. 
Jude, the Remission of. Sins. St. Simon first 
evangelized Mesopotamia; St. Jude, Egypt. 
Then they united in Persia to labor hence- 
forth together for the conversion of those 
vast regions peopled by barbarous nations, 
and together they yielded up their lives for 
the glory of the Holy Name of Jesus (First 
century). St. Jude, called Thaddeus, is the 
author of one of the Canonical Epistles 
wherein he warns the faithful against a class 
of ungodly men who cunningly preserved a 
semblance of religion whilst indulging in 
sensuality and good living. ''These are," 
said he, "trees without fruits, twice-dead, 
plucked up by the roots; raging waves of 
the sea, foaming out their own confusion; 
wandering stars to whom the storm of dark- 
ness is reserved forever" (Epis. ch. i, 8, 12, 
13). The Order of St. Dominic also cele- 
brates under the name of Thaddeus Moriarty 
an Irish martyr. When the Protestant per- 
secution was most violent, he was offered 
a sure means to emigrate, but he refused, 
not wishing to leave his flock without the 



i72 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

consolations of religion. He was then 
seized, condemned and died upon the gal- 
lows, in such edifying sentiments of faith 
and charity that the Protestants themselves 
could not help saying: "If any one of these 
Papists can be accounted a martyr, surely 
it is he!" (1653). 

Prayer — My God, preserve me from too 
much loving my- ease, for thereby I should 
become the enemy of my soul and of my 
body as well. 

Practice — Meditate upon the words of St. 
Tude quoted above, for be persuaded the un- 
godliness disguised of which he speaks still 
exists amongst us and injures many 
Christians. 

OCTOBER 29. 

Bl. Benvenuta Bojani, T., O. P. 

"Let her be welcome!" (benvenuta) said 
her father on learning of her birth, although 
he had only daughters and desired a son; 
and from this arose the infant's name. 
From her earliest years her father's garden 
was her privileged abode. She chose it be- 
cause from there she could contemplate afar 
off upon a mountain a sanctuary of Mary, 
and there she could give free vent to her 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 473 

Spirit of prayer and penance by ^ great num- 
ber of prostrations and genuflections. Ad- 
mitted into the Third Order she gave her- 
self up to rigorous corporal mortifications 
and in consequence fell seriously ill. An op- 
pression on her chest, a continual trembling 
in all her limbs, an invincible repugnance for 
food, impossibility of movement, most 
grievous sores — all combined to make her 
life an absolute martyrdom. To give her 
some consolation they had to carry her to 
church at the time of Mass, or for the 
"Salve," sometimes in the arms of her neigh- 
bors or upon her sister's shoulders, while 
the passers-by laughed to see her. After 
five years of suffering she was cured by 
making a vow to go and visit the tomb of 
St. Dominic at Bologna. Then she re- 
sumed her penitential life which was only 
surpassed by her humility. Her death was 
less the result of her mortifications than her 
desire "^o see Him Who had so often in- 
structed and favored her in prayer (1292). 

Prayer — O Virgin Mary, I venerate and 
salute you from the depth of my heart in all 
the sanctuaries throughout the world raised 
to your honor. 

Practice — Make in spirit a pilgrimage to 
the tomb of our Father St. Dominic at Bo- 
logna and ask there for some special grace. 



474 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

OCTOBER 30. 

^^^i/ Feast of Our Holy Relics. 

WJia-t is- there more precious upon earth 
than the relics of the saints? With what 
eagerness and with what boldness the first 
Christians sought to secure from the waves 
o»r:,from the arena the bodies of the slaugh- 
tered martyrs! And later on^ with what zeal 
Christian princes erected sumptuous monu- 
ments to contain them! Holy relics are in- 
dispensable in each altar-stone, where they 
signify the intimate union which exists be- 
tween the Word made Flesh — the Saving 
Victim— and the saints. But besides, our 
Dominican churches possess certain remark- 
able relics^ like the body of St. Dominic at 
Bologna, of St. Hyacinth at Cracow, of St. 
Peter Martyr at Milan, the "sacra testa" of 
St. Catherine of Siena, the cord of St. 
Thomas at Chieri, etc. Great relics are an 
honor to the churches which possess them, 
and they are for those who come to ven- 
erate them the source of the sweetest con- 
solations. How happy one is, for example, 
when near the urn of white marble which 
encloses the bones of our much-loved and 
holy Patriarch! And relics are also a 
source of grace, whether general or partic- 
ular. For every saint obtains for others 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY D0M|NI<PANS; 475 

more easily frorm God the special characterr 
istics ill which he excelled and the distinctive 
graces to which he had so faithfully cor- 
responded. 

Prayer — ^^O ye saints, whose relics are upon 
our altars, embalm our hearts and obtain for 
us that we, too, may become saintsl 

Practice — If you have relics in your pos- 
session keep them with much veneration and 
kiss them lovingly. 



OCTOBER 31. 

Bl. Alan de la Roche, C, O. P. 

Blessed x\lan de la Roche, called also 
Alan the Breton, merited above all else to 
be .entitled "The friend by excellence of the 
Blessed Virgin." Indeed it is related that 
this Divine Mother communicated her spe- 
cial favors to him, sometimes with tender 
caresses, sometimes with great crosses, for 
crosses are favors! The Blessed Alan, as a 
confiding and submissive son, received all 
from the hands of the Queen of Heaven with 
equal submission and gratitude. He was 
the great preacher of the Most Holy Virgin 
in the fifteenth centurj^, and he also revived 
the devotion of the Holy Rosary. For it 



\ 



476 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

was the most lamentable thing and showed 
what small consistency there is in the human 
mind, that a devotion so reasonable, so easy, 
so attractive and so useful, inaugurated by 
so great a saint as St. Dominic, could have 
fallen almost everywhere into oblivion. Alan 
set himself to the task; he traversed as the 
apostle of the Rosary, Holland, Flanders, 
Saxony and France, and as a result of its 
culture, there was a revival of those fruits 
of grace in individual souls, among families 
and in cities. His death was that of a saint 
(1475), and his tomb became glorious by 
numerous miracles. An altar was dedicated 
to him in the convent at Dinan, and Blessed 
Grignon of Montfort loved to celebrate Mass 
there. He has composed An Apology for 
the Rosary, a compilation of the Miracles of 
the Rosary, and a Dissertation on the Mas- 
ter of Sentences, put together on the occa- 
sion of his promotion to the Degree of 
Bachelor. 

Prayer — O Mary, in you is all my con- 
fidence. 

Practice — Inspire a love for the Holy 
Rosary in all the persons you associate 
with, and if you have had them enrolled in 
the Confraternity see to it that they do not 
forget the duties of the same and that they 
know the mysteries. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 477 

NOVEMBER 1. 

All Saints. 

The countless number of saints is one of 
the beauties of Heaven. Despite the efforts 
of the Spirit of Evil, what a power of at- 
traction and transformation is there in the 
Cross of Jesus! What thousands of souls 
have been purified, enlightened, nourished 
and sanctified by it since the beginning of 
the world! And what beauty in the very 
variety of merits among the saints! What 
a diversity of virtues! Last, and not least, 
what beauty in the marvellous order which 
makes a kingly people of this immense mul- 
titude, and of this assemblage of virtues a 
living reproduction of the attributes of God 
and of the perfections of the Redeemer! 
Thus, in this feast of All Saints, "the interior 
of Jesus is manifested, He is extended, in 
them; the divine perfumes which were 
locked up in His breast, whose odor was 
hitherto unknown, are diffused throughout 
the Church, and are exhaled before the 
throne of God. where they ascend with an 
odor of sweetness" (Ven. M. Olier). It is, 
therefore, a great feast — great for the saints 
in Heaven who show us the path of glory; 
and for God, the Saint of saints, the Author 
of every perfect gift. Who by the consum- 



478 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

mation of the work of the Redemption is 
all in all, and to all forever. Glory be to 
Him! The Pantheon at Rome or the Ro- 
tunda, an ancient pagan temple, was dedi- 
cated to all the saints by Boniface IV and 
it was Gregory IV who instituted the feast 
of All Saints in 837. 

Prayer — i/Ly God, when shall I chant to 
Thee with all the saints those perfect can- 
ticles of Thy praise whose delight never 
palls and whose duration is endless? 

' • Practice— Read during the day and medi- 
tate upon the Gospel for AH Saints, and say 
eight "Hail Marys" for the grace to under- 
stand and put into practice the Eight 
beatitudes. 



^nr NOVEMBER, FIRST SUNDAY. 

f= ■ ■ ,■ 
Dedication of the Churches of France, 

The Great Revolution profaned all the 
Catholic churches in France, overturned the 
altars, violated the tombs and dispersed the 
relics of the saints, amongst others those of 
B. Reginald at Paris, and of B. William 
Arnaud, O. P., at Toulouse. To-day's feast 
has the character of reparation. At the same 
time it invites us to restore the temple of 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 4^J) 

our; souls, so many times profaned by those 
revolutionaries which are vices. Let us, 
then, realize in this temple the six things 
which are performed in the consecration of 
a church: First, Aspersion, by purifying our 
heart from sin and the least traces of sin; 
second, the Inscription, by dedicating it to 
God and to some saint of our predilection, 
according to our attraction and needs: 
third. Illumination, by habituating it to see 
and appraise all things in the supernatural 
light of faith; fourth. Incensing, by filling it 
constantly with the spirit of prayer; fifth. 
Anointing, by diffusing throughout a kind of 
joy, a sweetness of spirit, a suppleness of 
will; sixth, Benediction, by accustoming it 
to praise and bless God in all things whether 
pleasing or grievous. Thus disposed we can 
defy the assaults and the violence of im- 
piety, and whatever our social status we 
may prepare the materials which go to form 
the elect for the heavenly Temple, according 
to the words of the Liturgy: "Tunsionibus, 
pressuris expoliti lapides suis coaptantur 
locis per manus Artificis." 

Reflection — The Church is the garden of 
Christians where they take their pleasure, 
and. whence they draw the life of grace pro- 
vided they are not contemners of the sacred 
blood (St. Catherine of Siena). 



480 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Practice — Make a visit of expiation to a 
church for all the irreverences which are 
committed even by pious persons who are 
often the most heedless and without re- 
straint. 



NOVTEMBER 2. 

All Souls' Day. 

Even Nature, according to the expression 
of a great apologetic writer, abhors the 
supposition that the bonds of affection which 
unite us to one another in this life could be 
rudely broken asunder by the hand of death 
— that death, conquered by the triumph of 
Jesus upon the Cross. Thus our religion 
came down from Heaven to corroborate the 
purest and deepest feelings of the soul, and 
has not ceased to teach us by the reality 
and necessity of Purgatory the possibility of 
aiding the souls who suffer there. David in 
his Psalms had long before prayed "for the 
present and for the future life." Judas 
Machabeus declared that it was a holy and 
wholesome thought to pray for the dead. 
The Primitive Church, at one moment in 
the Mass audibly recommended all ''those 
who were asleep in Christ." St. Jerome said, 
in speaking of a Christian husband: "Others 
love to scatter upon the tomb of their 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 481 

Spouse flowers — roses, lilies and violets; but 
he pours out the balsam of his alms." Every 
century of the Church, differing much under 
other aspects, has emulated the zeal which 
perpetuated this doctrine, which propagated 
this devotion. O consoling tradition! O 
wonderful power! How cruel should I be 
towards souls, and impious to Thee, O my 
God, did I not make use of it! I have many 
miseries; I hope never to have such a one 
as this! 

Ejaculation — If I forget, I shall be for- 
gotten. 

Practice -r- Meditate upon the words of 
God to St. Catherine of Siena: "In Purga- 
tory My Providence assists the poor souls 
who knew not the price of time, and per- 
mits you who are still upon earth to succor 
them by alms-deeds, fastings and prayers." 



NOVEMBER 3. 

Bl. Simon Ballachi, C, O. P. 

In his youth Simon was deeply involved 
in the political struggles of his country. But 
the grace of God made him keenly alive to 
the fact that they exhaust a man's capacities 
and injure him far more than he can ever 
effect by their means any public good. He, 

31 



482 SAINTS ANI)' SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

fterefore, at twenty-seven years of age, en- 
tered the Order, there the better to combat 
his proud and ambitious nature. He chpse 
the humble state of a lay brother, although 
he was the nephew of a bishop. The culti- 
vation of the garden was made over to him, 
and it pleased him, for he found there a field 
pi labor both rough and painful. It assisted 
him also in contemplation, for he used the 
visible things of the earth — its thorns, its 
dews, its flowers and fruits — to raise his mind 
to things invisible and show him how to cul- 
tivate the garden of his soul. Not content 
merely to accomplish his own duties he 
found time to lend a helping hand to the 
other brothers, and he could be seen, in 
the intervals his work in the house left him, 
going forth, cross in hand, to gather to- 
gether the children in the streets and teach 
them the catechism. By dint of weeping for 
his sins he lost his sight, but in spite of it 
he sought for occasions to make himself use- 
ful in the convent, and to satisfy his spirit 
of prayer he passed hours in visiting the 
various altars of" the church. In his last mo- 
ments a voice was heard saying to him: 
"Fear not, thou hast found grace before 
:jGod" (1519). 

Prayer — God most merciful, bring me 
back again when I flee away; attract me 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 483 

when 1 resist: raise 'me" when I fall; sup- 
pDrt me when T stand; lead me when I 
walk" (St. Thomas Aquinas). 

Practice— Compassionate those who are 
attracted by the things of the woHd; but 
for yourself, through love and respect for 
your soul, make your eternal interests your 
chief care. 

NOVEMBER 4. 
St. Charles Borromeo, B. 

Humility, firmness, charity, zeal for the 
formation and sanctification of the clergy — 
all St. Charles* life is comprised in these 
four words. In his humility, he dreamed 
only of renouncing his high dignities; it 
needed all the authority of our Ven. Fr. Bar- 
tholomew of the Martyrs to dissuade him 
from doing so. His fitmness appears in his 
struggles for the maiiitenance of ecclesias- 
tical discipline; they went so far as to fire 
upon him, but his surplice, which is pre- 
served at Bordeaux as i a' (memorial of the 
miracle, arrested the bullet. During the 
plague at Milan, his charity impelled him to 
sell all his goods, even to his bed,- , and to 
turn into money all his silver dishes. But 
that would have been little enough for hinj. 
In succoring the plague-stricken without in- 



484 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

termission it can be truly said that he sac- 
rificed his life for them every day more than 
a thousand times. The foundation and good 
maintenance of seminaries by solid studies, 
well-directed spiritual exercises and cere- 
monies piously carried out were the objects 
of his daily watchfulness, and this has caused 
him to be chosen as one of the patrons of 
the clergy. It was he who, taking part in 
the conclave after the death of his uncle, 
Pius IV, used all his influence to have St. 
Pius V, O. P., elected. He died aged forty- 
six years (1584). 

Prayer — My God, inspire me with a great 
abhorrence of luxury, of the delicacies of the 
table and the conveniences of life. 

Practice — Make a little visit to the Blessed 
Sacrament and beseech Our Lord, the eter- 
nal Pontiff, to continue to provide holy 
bishops for His Church. 



NOVEMBER 5. 

Bl. Martin of Porres, C, O. P. 

Martin was the issue of a noble Spaniard, 
the Chevalier d^A.lcantara, and of a Moor- 
ish woman, a liberated slave whose dark 



/ 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 485 

complexion he inherited for life. From his 
youth he had such compassion for the poor 
and the sick that it urged him to the study 
of medicine in order the better to relieve 
their wants. Being attached as Tertiary 
to our convent at Lima, he derived from 
the humiliations and great austerities to 
which he gave himself up, a new vigor in 
the exercise of charity. Assistance of the 
dying, deliverance of captives, protection of 
young girls in danger, the education of 
pagan children, for which object he caused 
a celebrated college to be built, occupied his 
zeal without, however, satisfying it, for he 
thirsted to set out for China or Japan in the 
hope of there encountering martyrdom. 
This kindness of heart was extended not 
only to all intelligent beings but also to the 
animal kingdom, as was seen on many occa- 
sions, when, for example, he nursed a raven 
wounded by a sportsman in the wing until 
it was entirely cured; and when he brought 
food to a dog which, from its attachment to 
its master, just dead, obstinately refused to 
leave his tomb. In the midst of a thousand 
solicitudes, the fervent lay brother's prayer 
never ceased, and he was several times seen 
lifted above the ground to fly towards the 
wound in the side of Jesus. He died smiling 



486 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

at theiinojnentwhen the *',Creed" was recited, 
by those around him at the words: -'Et 
homo factus est" (1584), 

Prayer— ^Q Paradise! Paradise! how beau- 
tiful thou art! (Aspiration of Bl. Martin). 

Practice — Often make acts of love to God 
in the midst of your occupations, especially 
when you are on the streets. 



-trf i NOVEMBjER 6. 

Veil. Benedict Xin, Pope, O. P, 

His mother, the Duchess of Orsini, to 
gratify her caprice, had a little Dominican 
habit made for Benedict in his childhood; 
but when later on he wished seriously to 
enter the Order she opposed his desire, 
although in vain, for grace triumphed over 
nature. The Bible, the Constitutions and 
the Lives of the Saints were the bocks of 
predilection of the new religious. Having 
been created, first cardinal, and then elected 
Pope on account of his great merits, he en- 
couraged the foundation of seminaries, pop- 
ular exposition of the Sacred Scriptures, and 
the ceremonies of the Church; also the 
cultus of Mary, in whose honor he often 



SAINTS AND SAJNTLY-DpMINICANS.. 487 

preached with much pleasure. The estab- 
lishment of pawn-shops, the diminution of 
taxes, the success of the Christian armies 
against the Turks, the approval of the cul- 
tus of the saints were the objects of his re- 
searches, of his bounty, his prayers, his pen- 
ances and his apostolic decrees. The excess 
of his goodness was the only criticism 
passeid upon his government. He loved to 
come into the choir of the Minerva to chant 
the psalmody and make prostrations like the 
least of the Friars. He often used to arrive' 
unexpectedly at the hospitals to assure him- 
self that all was properly attended to, or in 
the middle of the conferences of the clergy, 
to see how they observed his recommenda*- 
tions. Various graces, are recoirded as hav-; 
ing been obtained by his intercession both 
during his life and after death (1730). 
Benedict XIV in one of his works invokes 
him as a saint. ; ' 

Prayer^My God> how much good have I 
not omitted to do, and how much good have 
1 not spoilt by doing badly! 

Practice — Consider how to employ your 
tiine better everywhere and always have 
with you a good book to occupy yourself 
with whilst waiting for the common exer- 
cises to begin. 



488 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

NOVEMBER 7. 

Bl. Peter of Ruffia, M., O. P. 

In a short time he made such progress in 
learning and sanctity that he may be com- 
pared with the most learned men of the 
Order. Among the many victims with which 
grace adorned him,, humility shone forth 
most prominently, rendering him useful, 
modest and amiable; while his forgetfulness 
of the world and even of his noble family 
was remarkable in a young man of high 
birth and naturally affectionate heart. But 
if he had forgotten the affections of the 
world and trodden upon its maxims, its 
moral state was all the better known to him, 
its miseries and the sides most accessible to 
good. To utilize his knowledge and pru- 
dence, his tact and firmness, his ecclesiastical 
superiors appointed him Inquisitor of the 
Faith in Piedmont. Many heretics, moved 
by his example and his sermons, returned to 
the profession of the truth, but others hard- 
ened in error, became all the more enraged. 
Accosting him one day under pretense of 
delivering a message to him whilst he was 
lodged at the convent of the Franciscans 
they stabbed him without mercy on the feast 
of the Purification (1365). He had an imi- 
tator in his zeal in Fr. Pierre Divol. a great 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 489 

champion against the Calvinists in France. 
One of their chief men, an apostate relig- 
ious, began to blaspheme the Blessed Vir- 
gin, whereupon, losing both speech and life, 
he died, filling the hall with such a horrible 
odor that all fled, abandoning him to his fate. 

Prayer — "Thy countenance, O Lord, shines 
with grace; Thy mouth scatters treasures of 
life; Thy discourses are treasures of hu- 
mility and meekness" (Blessed H. Suso). 

Practice — Study the spirit of the world in 
the midst of which you live, not to be daz- 
zled by it, but to make yourself the more 
capable of converting its partisans. 



NOVEMBER 8. 

Octave Day of All Saints. 

The saints, according to the expression of 
a pious writer, are terrible people in the 
eyes of the world. It looks upon them as 
savages or as strangers whose language it 
does not understand and is shocked by their 
manners and customs. But for us believers 
the saints are the guides who trace out for 
us the path to Heaven, the burning darts 
which penetrate us with a holy emulation in 
the love of God; the eagles which bear us 
up in their sublime flight; the conquerors 



490 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

who generously invite us to profit by their 
conquest; brothers who call us to share in 
their eternal heritage. It is, then, with good 
reason that the Church takes care to register 
the accounts of their virtues, and that St. 
Thomas wrote to his pupil John: "Do not 
omit to follow the footsteps of the saints 
and good men." And, giving the example, 
he loved to read the lives and conferences 
of the Fathers of the desert; they trans- 
ported him into a new world and communi- 
cated to him by a way parallel to that of 
study, the clear perception of the Divine; a 
lesson somewhat less methodical, less an- 
alytical, but sweeter and not less useful. The 
same thing is recorded of St. Dominic. 

Prayer — Why should I not do what these 
others (men and women) have done!- What 
the ignorant bear Heaven away, and we with 
qvir heathen doctrines, we are plunged in 
the life of the senses! (St. Augustine). 

■ "Practice — Examine if you do not condemn 
as excessive certains practices and maxims 
of the saintj. Rather set yourself to imitate 
them in ardor, meditating upon that con- 
soling sentence of Tauler: "My brother, if 
thou desirest a holy life and thou asketh it 
of God with perseverance, it shall be given 
thee, were it one day or even one hour be- 
fore thy death." 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 491 

NOVEMBER 9. 

AU Saints of Our Order. 

St. Dominic, in one of his visions, wept 
because he did not see the religious of his 
family among the blessed. "Wilt thou be- 
hold thy Order?" said Mary to him. And 
as he evinced an eager desire to do so, after 
having left .him some little time in suspense, 
she showed him under her mantle, the whole 
legion of Brothers and Sisters. .Later on, 
St. Catherine of Siena, in her turn saw the 
holy Patriarch in Heaven, and he showed 
her a multitude of the blessed, companions 
of his glory, displaying to her their merits 
and naming each of them. The illustrious 
virgin soon went herself to be ranged among 
this multitude of saints where she was to 
occupy, so fair a place, and -ever since their 
number has gone on increasing. Our Order 
is, then, as Benedict XIV has inscribed it, 
truely a "nursery of saints," and the Blessed 
Sebastian Valfre of, the Oratory was able 
to say in one of his sermons: "Without 
diminishing the excellence of other Orders, 
that of St. Dominic sums up in itself their 
several perfections. It unites the solitary 
and hidden life of St. Basil, St. Bruno, St! 
Benedict; the life of ardent zeal of the 
disciples of Elias and St. Augustine; the 



492 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

poor and penetential life of the sons of St. 
Francis, and the clerical and apostolic life of 
the institutes formed since his days." What 
a consolation to be the children of such a 
family, but what a disgrace to imitate its 
exemplars badly! 

Prayer — Men and women, saints of the 
Dominican family, give us your spirit! 

Practice — Visit the different altars of the 
saints of the Order and venerate their relics. 
Try and possess some relic in your house 
for your oratory of prie dieu. 



NOVEMBER 10. 

Anniversary of the Dead of Our Order. 

St. Dominic had a great devotion to all 
the souls in Purgatory, and gave them 
nightly a third portion of the blood he shed 
in penance. This devotion persists among 
his children as the numberless practices held 
in honor among them and the examples of 
our principal saints testify. But to-day we 
pray especially for the dead of the Order, 
urged thereto by a triple motive. First, the 
motive of zeal. Because each Order forms 
in the assembly of the saints a particular 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 493 

legion. The glory of God, to be complete, 
demands that from the phalanx of St. Dom- 
inic no single person shall be wanting, and 
urges us to hasten the deliverance of the 
children of the Order detained far from 
their heavenly home; second, the motive of 
affection. For as we are all, though with 
different titles and degrees, members of the 
same family God will have us show one for 
the other a more urgent charity, a more 
supernatural and operative compassion. 
Now, the best earnest of it we can givQ 
is to pray for these souls who must always 
belong to us and who count upon us. Third, 
the motive of reparation. Since among our 
dead brothers and sisters are there not some 
whom we have ofifended, or omitted to help 
in the nature of justice and charity? And 
is it not supremely just that our prayers 
should repair the mischief wrought by our 
example or by our negligence? These re- 
flections and sentiments apply equally well 
to the members of the Holy Rosary Con- 
fraternity. 

Prayer — St. Dominic, give me your com- 
passion for the souls in Purgatory. 

Practice — Offer a communion for all the 
pious persons of your acquaintance who have 
died since the beginning of the year. 



494 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

NOVEMBER 11. 

St. Martin, Monk and Bishop. 

When he was still a soldier a poor man 
one day asked of him an alms, whereupon 
he offered him the half of his cloak which 
he cut in two portions with his sword. En- 
gaged in the service of God he continued 
his military calling in a more noble way, 
combatting for Him with all the strength 
arid greatness of his soul. Wishing to re- 
move from his own hands all traces of 
idolatry he braved the wrath of the pagans, 
and heaven confirmed his zeal by miracles. 
The union of monastic austerities with the 
ministry of souls did not appear to him to 
be an impossibility but a perfection, and a 
most fruitful alliance. In the Episcopate he 
did not blush to remain faithful to his rude 
covering and his cell cut in the rock. His 
progress in contemplation was such that he 
was enabled to read the supernatural world 
so well that he could discern the hostile 
actions of the demons, the evil genius char- 
acteristic of each of them and the title under 
which several had been worshipped by idola- 
tors as Jupiter and Mercury. Before ex- 
piring he cried out; "Lord, if I am still 
necessary to Thy people I do not refuse to 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 495 

labor. But Thy will be done!" After his 
death the devotion shown towards him by 
all nations was prodigious. One of his 
copes, of coarse material, when exposed in 
an oratory attracted such a concourse of 
people that the spot became known as a 
chapel (chape-chapelle), now the generic 
term for all edifices of this kind. The con- 
vent of the Hungarian Dominicans of Sa- 
^baria, St. Martin's native land, is placed 
under his invocation (400). 

Ejaculation — O vile garment of our own 
will thou causest nakedness instead of clo-, 
thing it. (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Meditate upon these words of 
St. Martin: "It does not become a Christian 
soul to die otherwise than upon ashes." 



NOVEMBER 12. 

JBl. Carino, Assassin of St. Peter, Martyr. 

Bl. Carino, who was in the pay of the 
heretics for the accomplishment of his crime, 
after being seized upon the spot, had man- 
aged to escape from his prison. Whilst 
traversing Forli in his flight he was obliged 
to halt at the hospital, and asked to be al- 
lowed to make his confession to a Domini- 



496 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

can who was both sympathetic and wise. 
The Prior hastened thither, heard his con- 
fession, and to allay his terror, for he be- 
lieved his crime to be unpardonable, said 
to him; "You have robbed God of a great 
religious: if you recover, become a religious 
yourself in reparation." And indeed he re- 
covered, obeyed the injunction, and pre- 
sented himself at the convent, bringing with 
him the murderous weapon so as to keep it^ 
always before his eyes as a motive for 
contrition. His long life was spent in toil, 
fasting, penances and prayer — praying pre- 
ferably at night in the church; and as he 
always knelt in the same place, the stone 
of the pavement, since preserved as an 
object of veneration, became worn into 
hollows by his knees. At the moment of 
death he implored the Prior to bury him 
among those criminals who had suffered the 
last penalty of the law. But as it happened, 
the miracles worked by his intercession, in- 
clined his superiors to transfer his body into 
the church itself near to the relics of Blessed 
Marcolino (About 1290). 

Prayer — Lord if Thy people sin against 
Thee, and merit being delivered into the 
hands of their enemies, but do penance with 
all their heart and soul, Thou shalt pardon 
them their iniquities (Solomon). 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 497 

Practice — Pray for those condemned to 
death; for the priests charged to assist them, 
and for the accomplices of their crimes; 
that is to say for those who by propagating 
irreligious and corruption of morals are 
remotely but effectively responsible for the 
crimes committed by poor ignorant people 
or by those in high station against society 
and against God. 



NOVEMBER 13. 

Bl. Bernard of Morlaas, C, O. P., and 
His Blessed Little Disciples. 

Blessed Bernard of Morlaas, profiting by 
the passage of Blessed Giles among them, 
had fled from his native country (Beam) in 
order to escape a marriage which his father, 
Lord of that territory, wished to impose on 
him. Admitted into the Order and assigned 
to Santarem in Portugal, the education of 
young aspirants to the religious life was 
committed to him. Two of these children 
more particularly prevented by the blessings 
of divine grace used often to take their meal 
before an image of Mary holding her Son 
Jesus. Sometimes in their simplicity they 
would invite the Divine Child to share their 

82 



498 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

repast, which He condescended to do, de- 
taching Himself for the moment from His 
Mother's arms. Jesus, in His turn never 
willing to be outdone in liberality, invited 
them with their father master to share in 
His Heavenly Father's banquet on the Feast 
of the Ascension. They understood that it 
was the announcement of their death, and 
they prepared for it by redoubling their 
piety. Indeed, the day indicated, after they 
had served Blessed Bernard's Mass and 
received Communion from his hands, they 
slept with him in the Lord at the altar's foot. 
Their example with that of Blessed Smelda, 
is not only to serve for the delight of chil- 
dren preparing for their First Communion, 
but to excite them to piety, to encourage 
acts of virtue, and it should make many 
Christians more advanced in age but so 
backward in favor to blush for them- 
selves (1277). 

Prayer — My God give me the simplicity, 
the innocence and the joy of the children 
of God. 

Practice — Attract Jesus to your repasts 
and yo r recreations by sacrifice, purity of 
intention, and gratitude. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 499 

NOVEMBER 14. 

BL John Liccio, C, O. P. 

At six months old he lost his mother, and 
his father's poverty deprived him of the care 
of a nurse. Thus afflictions were his first 
beverag i, privations his earliest food, and 
the cross his true cradle. The cross was 
also his guide from his tender youth and 
preserved him in innocence, obtaining for 
him the grace to attach himself to Jesus 
only. His love for vocal prayer was so 
great hat besides the Office of the Blessed 
Virgin, he said the Seven Penitential Psalms 
every day, the Litanies, the Rosary and fre- 
quently the Office of the Dead. The ex- 
hortations of Blessed Peter of Jeremia, to 
whom he had gone to confession by chance 
at Palermo, induced him to enter the Order 
immediately, although at first he expressed 
some hesitation on account of his unworthi- 
ness. In the convent he was distinguished 
by his zeal, his fervor and a tender devotion 
to the Holy Rosary. His sermons used to 
draw tears of compunction from the most 
hardened. Among his numerous works of 
mercy he undertook with the greatest zest 
to visit the prisoners and give consolation 
to the sick. He died at the age of one 
hundred and eleven years making many acts 



500 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

of humility and charity to God. He built 
a convent of the Order in his own country, 
the All-Powerful furnishing him with the 
materials by miracle, to testify thereby how 
acceptable his zeal was in His sight (1511). 

Prayer — O Jesus, may I die sooner than 
become a relaxed religious. 

Practice — Do you practice humility as 
proper to you: 1st Because of your nothing- 
ness? 2nd Because of your sins? 3rd In 
order to resemble Jesus and the saints? 



NOVEMBER 15. 

Bl. Albert the Great, C, C, O. P. 

He applied himself successfully, not only 
to the study of theology, but to the natural 
sciences as well, so that he might excite 
admiration for the perfections of God in 
created things of which they are the mirror: 
not less also to make believers understand 
more clearly the impious usurpation and the 
grave profanation committed by Satan and 
by men imbibed with his maxims when they 
employ their intelligence, their activity and 
their industry to subject the material world 
to serve their vanity, falsehood, and sensu- 
ality. He distinguished himself also in de- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 501 

fending, by command of the Pope the Mendi- 
cant Orders, particulary the Franciscans and 
Dominicans, against William of St. Amour, 
who denied them the right to teach in the 
universities, and to receive the alms of the 
faithful; that prayer should be their sole 
aim and manual labor their only means of 
livelihood. It is pleasing to see how Blessed 
Albert joined a tender piety to Mary with 
his abstract studies. In fact he was able 
to say of the Blessed Virgin, as Solomon 
said of Wisdom: "All good things come to 
me through Her." He owed to Mary his 
innocence, his Dominican vocation, his per- 
severance, and the gift of a profound science 
united to unshakable faith. He often com- 
posed charming hymns in Our Lady's honor 
which he sang to himself in his solitary 
walks. St. Thomas of Aquinas was his 
disciple, and far from feeling chagrin at 
being eclipsed by him he wept with joy on 
seeing so beautiful a star ascend on the 
horizon. Such is the humility of the 
saints! (1280). 

Prayer — Mary, I offer you the filial love 
of Blessed Albert. 

Practice — Do you rejoice at the good 
qualities and success of others? Do you not 
feel a secret vexation at them? Do you not 
seek to belittle them? 



502 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

NOVEMBER 16. 
Bl. Lucy of Narni, V., O. P. 

■Mi. 

.,;,By the arrangement of Providence she 
was bound for some time by the married 
state, but God enabled her to preserve her 
virginity inviolably. The poor were her 
family; she distributed to them her fine 
clothes; reserving the most shabby for her- 
self. Her husband treated her very roughly 
at first, but, softened at the sight of her 
patience, permitted her to enter the Third 
Order, under which rule she founded a most 
useful work for the education of young girls. 
The wisdom of God, which manifests itself 
^till more in the supernatural world than in 
the natural, so ordered that, after receiving 
the greatest consolations outside the cloister 
yet when within the privileged garden of the 
celestial Spouse, desolation and persecutions 
were her portion. The gifts she was favored 
with caused her to be accused of hypocrisy 
and witchcraft: as Prioress she was deposed 
from her office, deprived of her rank in 
community, covered with insults, assailed 
by illnesses and even the infirmarian neg- 
lected her, such was her state of trial during 
a period of thirty-eight years without any- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 503 

thing to console her and without being over- 
come and discouraged. She died crying 
out in a strong joyous voice, "Come to 
Heaven, come to Heaven!'* (1544). Two 
centuries after her death the stigmata with 
which God had favored her were still to 
be seen. 

Prayer — Blessed Lucy, take from my heart 
the hidious wounds of sin and imprint there 
the beautiful wounds of Jesus. 

Practice— Examine if you bear your do- 
mestic vexations in a spirit of penance, with 
serenity and with confidence in God. 



NOVEMBER 17. 

St. Gregory Thaumaturgus* 

^ The great Thaumaturgus is Jesus. "He 
worked" says St. Thomas, "miracles relating 
to demons, to angels, to the heavens, to 
men, to animals, to the material elements. 
He wrought them by His own power and 
made them serve to manifest the better His 
heavenly doctrine." But he has communi- 
cated this gift, more or less to His principle 
disciples, and in particular to St. Gregory 
of Neocaesarea. That faith, which bur 



504 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Saviour so much praised when He said it 
was powerful enough to remove mountains 
is realized in him to the letter. By prayer 
alone, but prayer full of faith and seconded 
by penance, he displaced a mountain and 
caused it to draw back into the sea. This 
miracle and numberless ©thers, procured 
him by excellence the surname of Thauma- 
turgus, and caused him to be compared by 
St. Basil to Moses, to the Prophets and 
Apostles. The town of Neocaesarea, when 
he became its Bishop was entirely pagan, 
coimting among them only seventeen Chris- 
tians. He effected there so much good that 
at his death all the inhabitants excepting 
seventeen were believers. Above all he was 
distinguished by a profound humility, a rare 
modesty, a great love for the truth, resem- 
bling in this St. Dominic, who said to his 
companions: "Let truth be dear to you 
above all else." Hence his zeal to confute 
Paul of Samosata, who covertly attacked the 
Divinity of Jesus Christ (266). 

Prayer — St. Gregory Thaumaturgus, ob- 
tain a new miracle — that of my conversion. 

Practice — Examine if your prayers are 

made in a spirit of faith, asking in the 

name of Jesus Christ and in virtue of His 
infinite merits. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 50.") 

NOVEMBER 18. 
John Tauler, Called the **Illuminated." 

He preached successfully but in a too 
human manner. It is related that a poor 
layman sent by* God revealed to him his 
deplorable state and converted him. A new 
way opened before him full of abandonment 
and humiliations. He fell ill with fright at 
the prospect, but God supported him and 
he found himself raised to a high state of 
contemplation after two years of trial. In 
his sermons the unction of grace and a 
supernatural tone had replaced the artificies 
of eloquence, and far from flattering his 
auditors he reproved energetically the vices 
in every condition of society. His friend, 
the good layman, assisted him in his last 
moments, and made him promise that he 
would never reveal his name. Tauler's 
agony was so terrible that the terrified as- 
sistants doubted of his salvation. But God 
made him understand that He had sent it 
to him in order to spare him from entering 
Purgatory. His writings are justly appre- 
ciated, although a certain discernment is 
necessary to enable one to profit by his 
doctrine and rightly understand it, different 



506 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DQMINICANS. 

as it is from that of the Quietists on the 
abandonment to the most holy, the most 
wise, and the most lovable will of God. The 
great Bousset in particular has defended 
and praised him (1361). 

Prayer — Life of Jesus, fruit divine, Thou 
art not found among relations nor among 
friends; rather there Thou art lost. (Tauler). 

Practice— Meditate upon this counsel of 
Tauler's; "Imprint in thy depths the ravish- 
ing image of Our Saviour. If thou eatest, 
steep each mouthful in His Precious Blood: 
if thou sleepest, repose upon His bleeding 
Heart; if thou speakest, represent to thy- 
self that He is there, quite near * * * and 
plunge thyself thus in the contemplation of 
this Divine Exemplar." 



NOVEMBER 19. 

St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Widow. 

- She was a king's daughter, and her 
brother Bela was the father of Blessed 
Margaret of Hungary, venerated in the Or- 
der of St. Dominic. AVhilst still a child, 
Elizabeth gave all her money to the poor. 



SAINTS A JifD S4I;If 'PLY DOMINICANS,. i^O)?'. 

Qii! condition thiat th'eyshotilid recite a Hail 
Mary ^'^r her. Rich ornaments displeased; 
her; she spoke little and very gravely, tak- 
ing care not to speak to the prejudice of 
anyone. In the marriage state she was an 
example of charity and fidelity to duty to 
all her relations. Every day she fed several 
hundred of poor persons, without counting 
those whom she rnaintained in the country. 
Neither the dififiLCulty of the roads, nor the 
dirtiness of the streets, or the bad odor and 
infection of their houses deterred her. Her 
docility of her difector. Father Conrad, was 
absolute, and he tried her in various ways; 
in particular by removing from her two 
pious women who were her consolation, and 
in substituting for them two others who were^ 
rough and severe, reproving her wrongfully 
and disrespectfully. Having lost her hus- 
band, who died in Sicily on his way to fight 
for the deliverance of the Holy Land, she 
passed from abundance to want, from honor 
to abjection. But she loved her humiliation 
so well that she desired to remain in it 
u^p-'-'to her death. She is the Patroness of 
the Third Order of St. Francis, as St. Cath- 
erine of Siena is that of St. Dominic (1231). 

•Reflections— The poor in spirit have pov- 
erty for Queen; there are no wars in her 
kingdom, always peace, tranquillity and: 



508 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

justice; the walls of the city are strong; 
its ornaments are piety and mercy. (Maxims 
of the saints). 

Practice— Approach to God with so much 
the more confidence as you have less sup- 
port from creatures. 



NOVEMBER 20. 

Ven. Anne de Montclar, V., O. P. 

Having established the monastery of St. 
Praxedis at Avignon, she recommended to 
her Sisters the following things. **lst Prep- 
aration for the Sacraments, saying that by 
neglect of this precaution many persons who 
frequently received them, were left to grow 
old in their imperfections: 2nd Disinterest- 
edness in the m.atter of gifts offered them by 
persons in the world; because, argued she 
with much clear-sightedness, according to 
St. Teresa, 'when it is a matter of receiving, 
the religious always finds some necessity.' 
3rd Preparation for death; a very solid and 
useful exercise which she set herself to 
practice, and particularly on the Fridays in 
March, in memory of the Agony and Death 
of Our Saviour. God was pleased to en- 
courage this devotion, for a miraculous 
hand-bell was in the habit of ringing when 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 509 

any of the religious was going to die; and 
this urged every one to prepare for it. Dur- 
ing a pestilence which ravaged Avignon, all 
the religious were preserved, although they 
had nursed many of the sick people, and re- 
nouncing dispensations they remained faith- 
ful to the abstinences and fasts of the con- 
stitutions. The venerable mother endured 
for the last twenty years of her life an 
absolute deafness, and occupied herself with 
prayer, manual labor, and the composition 
of pious verse (1591). 

Prayer — I die every day. (St. Paul). 

Practice — Examine whether you have not 
a certain cupidity in regard to presents? 
Is not the benevolence you show towards 
certain generous persons colored by the 
hope of obtaining something from them? 
Are you not attached to the small objects 
that are given you? 



NOVEMBER 21. 

Presentation of B. V. M. 

Mary's home was all holy, her parents 
were saints; but God made her understand 
that even under exceptional conditions the 
best place to dwell in is always far from the 



510 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

-world, in the shadow of the sanctuary. Thus 
she was presented in the Temple at three 
years of age. Her sweet, equable and amia- 
ble character made her the joy of her com- 
panions. She divided her life between work 
and prayer. Her work was humble; she 
would more readily handle the wool and the 
flax than silk or gold. Her prayer was as- 
tonishing in its simplicity: she asked of 
God, 1st to love Him with, all her heart, 
2nd to love her neighbor as herself, 3rd to 
hate everything that God hates, 4th to be 
humble and patient, 5th to obey the High 
Priest promptly and perfectly, 6th to see 
the Redeemer of the world, Tth to persevere 
in virtue even to the end. Among the num- 
erous congregations of active life which de- 
rive from St. Dominic their origin and 
spirit we may mention with praise the Sisters 
of the Presentation, at whose foundation and 
formation Fr. Mespollier, O. P., and M. 
Ponssepin, T., O. P., labored so wisely and 
vigorously that having resisted the violence 
of the French Revolution they still succour 
souls as "Dominican Sisters of Charity'* 
throughout the world. 

Prayer — Mary, multiply religious voca- 
tions, and make the opposition of families 
to cease, or the resistance of those who 
being called fight against grace. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 511 

Practice— If, as there is reason to expect 
from your piety, you belong to the Blessed 
Virgin by any particular bond, renew your 
engagements at her feet. 



NOVEMBER 23. 

St. Cecilia, V. M. 

In considering the attentions of which St. 
Cecilia was the object on the part of her 
angel guardian; listening to her heavenly 
converse with her spouse Valerian, and in 
seeing how, after having converted him to 
the faith she knew how to inspire him with 
the practice of virginity, we are struck with 
the beauty of her soul. But when we follow 
her before her persecutors it is the liveliness 
of her mind and the strength of character 
we then admire. "To die for Christ," she 
said, "is not to sacrifice one's youth, it is to 
renew.it; it is to give a little clay and re- 
ceive gold." The very flames respected her, 
in the midst of which they hoped she would 
perish. It was necessary to have recourse 
,to the sword; and although the executioner 
had struck three times, she remained in 
.agony for three days after, occupied in pray- 
ing for the Church and in fortifying the 
faithful. She is venerated as the queen of 



512 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

harmony because of the spiritual canticles 
she addressed to the Lord whilst on her 
nuptial day the musicians celebrated her 
earthly union. Under this aspect her cultus 
keeps alive the religious sentiment in many 
persons in the world whose faith is unhappily 
as weak as their virtue. In the Order of St. 
Dominic, Cecilia is honored as a protectress, 
having accompanied St. Mary Magdalene in 
many apparitions accorded to the Holy 
Patriarch and his children (230). 

Prayer — St. Cecilia, teach me to sing the 
praises of God, with the heart as much as 
with the voice. 

Practice— Attract souls to God by show- 
ing by your conversation and example how 
sweet is His yoke. 



NOVEMBER 33. 

St. Clement, Pope and Martyr. 

St. Peter, who appreciated the lofty and 
practical qualities of Clement, formed in 
the faith by St. Paul, designated him as his 
successor in the government of the Church. 
But the humble disciple, after the death of 
the Prince of the Apostles, esteemed himself 
unworthy to be the Pastor of pastors, and 
fearing lest this example should cause the 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 513 

pontifical dignity to be considered as heredi- 
tary by the choice of the successor being left 
to the predecessor on expiring, refused to 
accept it. He had, nevertheless, to submit 
to this burden, the heaviest on earth, after 
St. Linus and St. Cletus had successively 
given their life for the faith. He suffered 
under Trajan and his body was thrown into 
the ocean. At the prayers of the Christians, 
however, the waters retreated and an ele- 
gant chapel was seen to appear, built by the 
hand of an angel, in which reposed the mar- 
tyr's body. The church in Rome which 
bears his name and guards his relics, with 
those of SS. Cyril and Methodius, the apos- 
tles of the Slavs, was given by Innocent X 
to the Irish Dominicans, persecuted in their 
own country (1667). There it was that P. 
Lacordaire, already professed, admitted as 
his first companions on choosing their 
names in religion, those picked men who sec- 
onded him so well in his providential mis- 
sion of restoring the Order of Friars 
Preachers in France (100). 

Prayer — My Jesus, give me a sweet and 
sure shelter in Thy Heart in the midst of the 
ocean of the world. 

Practice — Contribute to prepare some 
good religious vocations, be it for your own 
country or for the foreign missions. 

33 



514 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

NOVEMBER 34. 

St. John of the Cross. 

*'Great works at the cost of great suffer- 
ings"; such is the law of Divine Provi- 
dence, justified by the life of St. John of the 
Cross. What did he not suffer — equally 
with St. Teresa who so quickly recognized 
in him the great gifts of nature and espe- 
cially of grace — in order to achieve the 
grand reform of Carmel? Human opposi- 
tion, contempt, the abandonment of his 
friends — nothing was wanting to him. And 
what good did he not realize? For he had 
a regulated zeal, making contemplation pre- 
cede action, according to the Rules of his 
Order, in conformity to those of divine wis- 
dom; an enlightened zeal; his works are 
as solid as they are profound. Witness his 
"Ascent of Mount Carmel," the "Dark 
Night," the "Living Flame of Love"; an 
extensive zeal, embracing all the religious 
of his reform, the Sisters of Carmel, the 
faithful kindled by love for Christian perfec- 
tion, and even poor sinners, for whom he 
reserved the most tender compassion, the 
most generous devotedness. When Jesus 
offered him the choice of a reward, he re- 
plied: "Lord, to suffer and be despised for 
Thee." He was ripe for heaven at forty- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 515 

nine years of age. Pope Benedict XIII, 
O. P., had the honor and the joy of can- 
onizing him (1591). 

Prayer — I wish that you remain always in 
the knowledge of yourself and that you 
should learn from it the fire, that is to say, 
the goodness and charity of God. Behold 
the cell where I wish you to be (St. Cath- 
erine of Siena). 

Practice — Examine yourself upon this say- 
ing of St. John of the Cross: "Beginners, 
still subject to pride, often beseech God 
with ardor to be delivered from their faults, 
less in order to give Him glory than to free 
themselves from the vexations they occa- 
sion them." 

NOVEMBER 25. 

St. Catherine, V. M. 

She was born at Alexandria, in Egypt, of 
royal blood, and so well applied her noble, 
broad, lively and serious mind to the study 
of Christian philosophy which was there 
held in great honor, that at eighteen years 
old, transported with zeal for the truths of 
faith, she presented herself boldly before 
the Emperor Maximian and reproved him 
for the evil he did in persecuting Christi- 
anity. There was so much grace, logic and 



516 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

eloquence in her discourse on Jesus Christ 
that fifty of the most renowned philosophers, 
met together to confute her, were on the 
contrary themselves confounded, and what 
was still more astonishing, became con- 
verted. Maximian's wife embraced the faith 
in her turn with more than two hundred 
persons, and all suffered martyrdom. Cath- 
erine was first condemned to be placed be- 
tween two wheels armed with points and 
sharp blades, which turning in opposite 
directions, must soon have reduced her del- 
icate body to shreds. But at the first turn 
they broke into splinters without reaching 
the person of the saint. It was bj^ decap- 
itation that she won the martyr's crown. 
After her death angels transported her 
body to Mount Sinai (307). She is vener- 
ated in the Church as the patroness of phi- 
losophers. She figures in several appari- 
tions with which St. Dominic and other of 
our saints were favored, and among our- 
selves she is honored with the same title 
and degree as St. Cecilia as protectress of 
the Order. 

Prayer — St. Catherine, obtain for us to 
know how to defend at need, our holy faith 
with intelligence, firmness and discernment. 

Practice — Pray for the students of 
philosophy. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 517 

NOVEMBER 26. 

BL Lawrence of England, C, O. P. 

Certain historians say he was one of the 
fourteen pilgrims who was preserved from 
drowning by Dominic during the siege of 
Toulouse; and the Holy Founder caused 
him to join the missionaries whom he sent 
into Scotland at the request of the King, 
Alexander II. This is certain, that he was 
sent first to Paris, and he there became 
famous by the purity of his life, his spirit 
of prophecy and his miracles. An ecclesi- 
astic threatened with the loss of his sight 
recommended himself to his prayers and he 
cured him by touching his eyes and tracing 
upon them the sign of the Cross coupled 
with the invocation of the Name of Jesus. 
As to the formal foundation of the English 
province, it is attributed to Fr. Gilbert, 
of Fresnoy, who started it in the Jew- 
ish quarter at Oxford so that this peo- 
ple should find a motive for conversion 
in the holy life and the preaching of 
the newcomers. The Friars soon became 
the ornament of the University of Ox- 
ford, in particular ^Robert Kilwardby, who 
died as Cardinal of Santa Rufina. May their 
united prayers greatly enlighten the conn- 



518 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

try which gave them birth and which in en- 
tire submission to the Church would be so 
well able to understand and spread in all 
parts the true Faith (1235). 

Prayer — "O power of the Father, aid me; 
wisdom of the Son, enlighten my under- 
standing; sweet clemency of the Holy Spirit, 
embrace me; do you all unite in my heart" 
(St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Offer Communion for the Cath- 
olic clergy of England that they may pre- 
serve the ecclesiastical spirit and habits, de- 
spite the obstacles in their midst; and a 
prayer also for those converts who suffer 
persecution from their relations. 



NOVEMBER 27. 

Bi. Margaret of Savoy, W., T., O. P. 

Margaret was born of royal blood, and 
was daughter to Amadeus II, Duke of 
Savoy. She was married to the Marquis of 
Montferrat, but losing him whilst still young, 
she made a vow of chastity and refused to 
avail herself of the dispensation which the 
Holy See offered her so that she might con- 
tract more advantageous .and splendid alii- 



) 

( 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 519 

ances. All her affections went out to the 
poor and the sick. But this life of good ex- 
terior works did not satisfy her aspirations; 
she therefore built a monastery where, being 
enclosed, she could give herself up more 
freely to contemplation. Nothing there dis- 
tinguished her from the others if it were 
not her ardor for the practices of humility, 
her simplicity and obedience which flourish 
in fervent houses. There happened to be 
in her monastery a giddy novice who com- 
municated her worldly spirit to the others. 
Not being able to resolve to send her away, 
Margaret set herself to pray, and the young 
aspirant, a true black sheep, went away of 
her own accord. Our Lord in a vision gave 
Blessed Margaret the choice of three sharp- 
ened darts, symbolizing illnesses, persecu- 
tions and calumnies. Her love of suffering 
soon and wisely decided her; she accepted 
all three. Her entire obedience to her con- 
fessor is particularly praised and her zeal 
in obtaining peace for the Church (1464). 

Prayer — Bl. Margaret obtain for me for- 
getfulness of self and of my own interests. 

Practice — Accept with simplicity and 
promptness the crosses God sends you and 
be persuaded that they are better than all 
those of your own choosing. 



520 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

NOVEMBER 28. 
Bl. Zedislava, T., O. S. D. 

Bl. Zedislava was born of noble parents in 
the Castle of Strizanov, in Moravia, about 
the year 1210. From her earliest years she 
showed a great love for prayer, solitude and 
works of penance and charity. She had 
wished to consecrate herself wholly to the 
Divine Spouse of Virgins, but out of def- 
erence to her parents' will, she married Gal- 
lus, lord of the principality of Lemberg, 
near Gabel, in Bohemia. She endured with 
an invincible patience the harshness of her 
husband, who was a man of difificult and vio- 
lent character; he became, however, con- 
verted towards the end of his life and ren- 
dered homage to the heroic virtue of his 
pious wife. She had a son who died young 
and three daughters whom she brought up 
in the fear of God. She cherished with a 
truly maternal love the poor, prisoners and 
the afHicted of every kind. After having 
founded a convent for the Friars Preachers 
at Gabel with a church dedicated to St. 
Lawrence the Martyr, she desired to receive 
herself the habit of the Third Order from 
the hands of B. Ceslas, brother of St. Hya- 
cinth, and from henceforth she applied her- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 521 

self with a still more ardent zeal to the prac- 
tice of all virtues. She died before her hus- 
band in 1252, with such a reputation of 
sanctity that her tomb in St. Lawrence's 
Church has become the centre of a public 
and ecclesiastical cultus even to our day. 
This cultus has been confirmed by Pius X 
in 1907. 

Prayer — My God, mayest Thou fortify 
wives in their domestic trials. 

Practice — Say a "Pater/' "Ave" and * 
"^Gloria Patri" in honor of B. Zedislava to 
obtain the particular grace you desire. 



NOVEMBER 39. 

Bl. James of Benefactis, B., C, O. P. 

Having said good-bye to the world, to the 
comforts and luxury of his house, he took 
our holy habit and applied himself zealously 
to the study of perfection and the sacred 
sciences. Thus he came to be regarded as 
a storehouse and treasury of wise maxims 
and salutary counsels. Benedict XI, his 
companion in the novitiate, wished to keep 
him with him in Rome, but it was John 
XXII who made him Bishop of Mantua. 



522 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

The Blessed realized the hopes of all by his 
doctrine and sanctity of life. Burning with 
charity for his flock he made himself all to 
all, and set himself particularly to appease 
the enmities and discord which were rife 
among them. During a period of pestilence 
and famine, he succored the unhappy so gen- 
erously and provided so carefully for their 
spiritual and temporal welfare that he mer- 
ited the name of "Father of the Poor." Al- 
though glorified after his death by various 
miracles, his relics soon fell into oblivion, 
so little stability is there sometimes in popu- 
lar devotion, and it was not until one hun- 
dred and fifty years after his death, whilst 
making repairs, that they were again found, 
and for yet a second time during a century 
the devotion of the public died away. At 
last his merits triumphed definitely and his 
holy relics were transferred to the Cathedral 
of Mantua, where they are held in great 
veneration (1332). 

Prayer — Blessed James, teach us how to 
sacrifice our tastes, our tranquillity, our well- 
being in the cause of peace and mutual help. 

Practice — Ofi^er to Jesus agonizing your 

interior sufferings or your different domestic 
trials to obtain for Holy Church peace in 
truth and in charity. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS 523 

NOVEMBER 30. 

St. Andrew, Apostle. 

St. Andrew was the first of the Apostles 
to give himself to Christ, and it is said that 
having to frame one of the twelve articles 
of the "Creed,'* he was responsible for this 
one, "And in Jesus Christ His only Son." 
He freely reprimanded the Proconsul 
Aegeus for having opposed the preaching of 
the Gospel, and when in his anger he wished 
to force him to sacrifice to idols, St. An- 
drew replied, in allusion to the Holy Sacri- 
fice of the Mass: "Every day I immolate the 
immaculate Lamb, Who, after being distrib- 
uted to the people, still remains living and 
entire." He was heard to cry out at the 
moment of crucifixion: "O Cross, which has 
borne the members of my Saviour, with what 
splendor you shine in my eyes! By you my 
death shall resemble somewhat His own. 
I come to you, receive me; behold my title 
to this favor; I am the disciple of Him 
Whom we have adored within your arms." 
The people, who loved him greatly, only 
waited for a sign from him to rush forward 
and deliver him from death. But he re- 
strained, by a single look, the shudders of 
the faithful, and did not cease during two 
days to preach the Gospel from his cross. 



524 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Maximilla, a high-born woman and most 
courageous, took away the body, embalmed 
and buried it. It was the 30th of Novem- 
ber, 62 A. D., under Nero. 

Prayer — Let worldHngs be silent. Lord, 
and not say that Thou treatest Thy friends 
badly! It is in Thy goodness that Thou 
sendest them sufferings. 

Practice — Receive each suffering or con- 
tradiction or humiliation with the same re- 
spect as if you were receiving a piece of the 
True Cross. 



DECEMBER 1. 

Bl. Hugh of St. Cher, Cardinal, O. P. 

Hugh was drawn to the Order by the per- 
suasive preaching of Blessed Jordan, and 
was clothed in the habit at the same time as 
Bl. Humbert and Bl. Innocent V. Con- 
strained by Innocent VI and St. Louis to 
accept the cardinalate, in his humility and 
out of love for monastic life he said to his 
brethren: "I was not worthy to remain 
among you; that is why I am sent away." 
In Flanders as Pontifical Legate he showed 
himself the zealous defender of the feast of 
the Blessed Sacrament, due to the inspira- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 525 

tlon of the B. Juliana of Mount Cornillon, 
and which had been recently introduced and 
was attacked by many as a novelty. He 
approved of it from the outset and preached 
warmly in its favor. Pope Innocent VI also 
charged him to draw up the Constitutions 
adapted to their vocation for the Carmelite 
Fathers, and it is to these Constitutions that 
St. Teresa succeeded in bringing back her 
Order after various mitigations hitherto be- 
lieved indispensable. Our cardinal did not 
retrench anything from the penetential prac- 
tices which obtained in the Order. He cel- 
ebrated the praises of the Blessed Virgin in 
such joyful tones that he has been surnamed 
"the Citharist of Mary." Helped by five 
hundred religious he succeeded in drawing 
up the concordance of the Holy Scriptures 
which has since had so many imitators. His 
sanctity has been testified by divers mir- 
acles (1252). 

Prayer — Divine Wisdom, I thank Thee for 
having given to Thy Church the feast of the 
Blessed Sacrament. 

Practice — Consider that in Holy Commun- 
ion your soul, according to Blessed Hugh of 
St. Cher, should be a noble cenacle, great 
through charity, long in hope, high by faith, 
and all joined together in humility. 



526 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

DECEMBER 2. 

Bl. Nicholas of Holland, C, O. P. 

This humble but fervent servant of God, 
as a clothed Tertiary, put himself at the serv- 
ice of the Friars Preachers at Haarlem, in 
Holland, so that he might share by manual 
labor in the merit of their apostolic works, 
and enjoy at the same time the peace and 
regularity of the monastic life. His conver- 
sation, full of candor and simplicity, revealed 
the innocence of his soul. He was entrusted 
with the reception of guests, a good work 
of which St. Gregory says: "To invite 
strangers to accept hospitality is not enough; 
it is necessary to press them"; but it is a duty 
which "requires a choir or lay brother with a 
joyful countenance, affable in conversation, 
prompt in rendering services, a lover of reg- 
ularity, knowing how to conform himself 
prudently and religiously to the ways of 
others and to a diversity of circumstances" 
(BL Humbert). God rewarded Bl. Nich- 
olas by a prodigy. One day he wished to 
entertain worthily some travelling religious; 
as no fish was forthcoming with which to 
regale the weary travellers, and he would 
not violate the rule of abstinence in the Or- 
der, he went to confide his difficulty to the 
prior, who said to him: "Return and com- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 527 



» 



mand the fish to let themselves be caught 
He did so at once in a spirit of obedience, 
and the fish, anticipating his desires, came 
to the edge of the water to give themselves 
into his hands, as if they were happy to 
afford nourishment to the servants of 
God (1468). 

Prayer — My God, take from my soul ser- 
vile fear and duplicity which are the fruits 
of sin. 

Practice — Meditate often upon these words 
of Holy Scripture and relish their fruits: 
"An obedient man shall speak of victory" 
(Prov. xxi, 28). 



DECEMBER 3. 

St. Francis Xavier, S. J. 

"What does it profit a man to gain the 
whole world, if he lose his soul?" This 
simple truth detached Francis Xavier from 
the glory of the world which had at first 
charmed his great soul. He joined St. Igna- 
tius and made such great progress under 
his direction that he attained to a sublime 
degree of contemplation in a short time. He 
merited these spiritual delights through per- 
fect humility of heart, great corporal morti- 



528 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

fications and a heroic devotedness to the un- 
fortunate; the hospital was always his 
favorite abode, the scene of his zeal and 
miracles. When St. Ignatius had still but 
ten companions he was asked to send mis- 
sionaries to India, and he chose Francis who 
traversed different countries like a beneficent 
star as far as Meliapore, the scene of the 
martyrdom of St. Thomas the Apostle. As 
he knew how to unite natural resources to 
extraordinary gifts of grace, in particular the 
study of the customs and traditions of each 
country, so he turned them to profit in the 
explanation of the Gospel, and in winning 
all hearts to Jesus Christ. While he was 
doing such great things for God, his spirit 
of obedience was so deep that he would only 
write kneeling to St. Ignatius, his Superior 
General. He died at the age of forty-six 
(1532). Divers works of zeal have been 
founded under his patronage. 

Prayer — ''If I could exercise the office of 
preaching, I would wish to traverse the 
streets bare-footed, with a crucifix in my 
hand, crying day and night. Awake, awake, 
O sinners!" (St. Rose of Lima). 

Practice — Look at the map of the world 
and at all the countries which are still with- 
out the Faith, and think, groan and pray. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 529 

DECEMBER 4. 

Ven. Fr. Dominic Osman, C, O. P. 

Dominic Osman was the Sultan Ibrahim's 
son, and while still a young child, accom- 
panying his mother, Zaphira, to the tomb of 
Mahomet the false prophet, he fell into the 
hands of some Knights of Malta, who 
sparred nothing to instruct him in the truths 
of our Faith. But he resisted the truth for 
a long time, having imbibed an instinctive 
aversion to Christianity with his mother's 
milk; he had also promised not to embrace 
it, so that a false sense of honor made him 
keep his word. However he was intelligent, 
straight-forward and compassionate towards 
others in their misfortunes, and God made 
grace to triumph; he was baptized by the 
name of Dominic, and even obtained the 
habit of the Friars Preachers, to whom his 
education had been confided. His love for' 
the Rule was so great, that although suffer- 
ing from quartun-ague, he forced himself 
to keep the customary abstinence. Sent 
from Malta to Italy, he made the pilgrimage 
to "St. Dominic in Soriano," with great de- 
votion, and edifiied the inhabitants of the 
Eternal City by his love of humility and 
silence though the greatest personages came 

34 



530 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

to visit him. Nothing was more moving 
than his fervor in celebrating Holy Mass, 
nor more touching than his solicitude for 
the conversion of his former co-religionists 
which was so much the greater, as he knew 
the difhculties in the way; for this end he 
conceived the idea of founding a Convent of 
Friars Preachers in Italy who would carry 
the Gospel everywhere in the Levant. But 
he was prevented by death, which overtook 
him at the age of thirty- five (1676). 

Prayer — God of light, enlighten the East 
upon the truths of the Faith and the Primacy 
of the Roman PontiflF. 

Practice — Do not be obstinate in holding 
to your own opinion when you begin to feel 
you are wrong. 



DECEMBER 5. 

Bl. Voluntas of Basle, C, O. P. 

The merits of Our Lord's Passion supply 
for the weakness of Christians who not only 
practice mortification so little but dread to 
practice it. Meditation on the Passion is 
also a remedy for the feebleness of wander- 
ing and superficial souls, still full of human 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 5S1 

respect. But above all for great and gen- 
erous souls, the Passion has an irresistible 
attraction, and urges them on in the paths 
of great perfection. The devout religious 
of whom we are speaking found in the Pas- 
sion his chief subject of prayer, and could 
not think of it without shedding tears. 
Through a tender feeling of piety, he often 
made the sign of Redemption on his breast, 
and took pleasure in praying with his arms 
in the form of a cross. He had learned so 
well in the school of our crucified Saviour 
to suffer in patience all kinds of tribulations, 
that he was called "a Jesus in patience," a 
worthy rival of the Ven. Catherin of the 
Kings, V. O. P., who pleasantly and very 
justly called her misfortunes her good 
friends, begging them not to leave her. 
When they exhumed the body of Blessed 
Voluntas of Basle, to bear it to the Convent 
of Strasburg where he had given great edi- 
fication as Prior, they found a cross en- 
graved on his heart, the extremities of 
which were adorned with a beautiful lily 
(1240). 

Prayer — Good Jesus give me a heart full 
of compassion for the mysteries of Thy 
Passion. 

Practice — Do not seek your chief support 
in human consolation; you may make >use 



532 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

of it with humility and gratitude, but only 
on condition that you tend more and more 
to rely on God alone. 



DECEMBER 6. 

St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra. 

When the parents of St. Nicholas died, 
his first care was to distribute all his goods 
to the poor, and he withdrew into solitude 
to live far from the tumult of the world. But 
God spoke thus to him in prayer: "This is 
not the place where I wish you to be; go 
and converse with men, that I may be glori- 
fied in you." On being appointed to the 
episcopate, he overthrew the temples of the 
false gods and caused the Christian religion 
to flourish. The condemned who were inno- 
cent were vindicated by him; by the author- 
ity of his presence alone, serious and bitter 
dissensions were appeased, captives were set 
at liberty through his mediation; he safe- 
guarded the chastity of virgins by his liber- 
ality and succored the poor. For these rea- 
sons the people have great devotion to him. 
Children in particular celebrate his feast 
with much delight. He was one of the three 
hundred and eighteen Fathers who con- 
demned Arianism at Nicea. The church at 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 533 



Bologna where St. Dominic definitely in- 
stalled his first brethren was placed under 
his invocation, for it was indicated to the 
holy Patriarch by certain mysterious sounds 
of melody often heard in that spot. The 
rector, Rodolph, who, entered amongst them 
was encouraged in his vocation by a vision 
in which St. Nicholas, placing his hand on 
his head, said to him: "Courage, fear net, 
for thou and thy Order art dear to the heart 
of Mary (324). 

Prayer — St. Nicholas, obtain for me the 
grace to do good to my neighbor, but above 
all to poor children. 

Practice — When you do an act of charity 
for the good of souls consider that in accept- 
ing it they do you more good than you 
do them. 



DECEMBER 7. 

Bl. John the Teutonic, O. P., M. G. 

The first five Generals of the Order are 
entitled Saint or Blessed: St. Dominic, B. 
Jordan of Saxony, St. Raymund of Penna- 
fort, B. Humbert of Romans and B. John 
the Teutonic. This last, who entered the 



534 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Order somewhat late in life, appeared to 
renew his youth and was a model of gentle- 
ness, except, however, when it was neces- 
sary to defend his chastity, for during one of 
his journeys, a woman having entered his 
room to tempt him, only received a blow 
which brought her to the ground. Gregory 
iX who had created him Bishop of Bosnia, 
yielding to his entreaties, accepted his resig- 
nation. But while seeking to evade one 
honor, another was accorded to him, for he 
was elected General. His zeal for the glory 
of St. Dominic was great; he ordered an 
account of his miracles to be written, the 
inclination of the head to be made at his 
name and sanctuaries to be erected in his 
honor. Not less was his devotion to Mary, 
who appeared in the dormitory of one of 
the convents during the Matins of her Little 
Office, saying: ^'Courage, courage, brave 
men.'' Seeing that the Pope raised many of 
the brethren to the episcopate, B. John re- 
marked to him that Saints Peter and Paul 
had given Dominic a book and a stick, not 
a crozier and a mitre. "And He,'' replied 
the Pope, "of Whom I am the Vicar, bids 
me not to keep the light under a bushel, but 
on a candlestick." After John's death (1252) 
Bela, King of Hungary, father of our B. 
Margaret, wrote to the General Chapter of 
Strasburg to give evidence of his miracles. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 535 

Prayer — If I wish* to become perfect, Mary- 
alone possesses the secret. 

Practice — Perform some act of mortifica- 
tion in preparation for the feast. 



DECEMBER S. 

Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 

If sin had entered into Mary, even for a 
single instant, the devil would have made 
an act of possession of her soul, and this 
act, though it were as rapid as lightning, 
would have been an act of dominion, and 
he would have been able to say to the 
Blessed Virgin: "Thou art mine; thou art 
under my feet." And he would have been 
able to address this insult to God: "What- 
ever Thou mayst do henceforth, it will be 
always true that I preceded Thee in this 
heart which is going to love Thee; in that 
body which will one day form Thine own." 
Thou didst not permit it. Lord, and I re- 
joice thereat for Thy glory. I thank Thee 
that for our consolation Thou hast reserved 
for our century the proclamation of this 
great privilege of Mary. Our days are faith- 
less; it is just that in them a truth should 
be defined which throws light on the depth 
of the fall and the greatness of the repara- 



536 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

tion. These are days * of sensuality and 
scandal, but through Mary Immaculate vir- 
tue become in its turn contagious and draws 
thousands of souls under its sway. These 
are sad days, what happiness to see Mary's 
purity shine like a ray of joy. This beautiful 
teaching was contained in St. Dominic's 
book against the Albigenses which survived 
victoriously the trial of the flames at 
Fanjeaux. 

Prayer — Hail, O admirable Virgin, more 
brilliant than the sun, sweeter than honey, 
softer than balsam, more beautiful than the 
rose, whiter than the lily! I beg thee, purify 
me who am impure; make me, a sinner, 
just; make me, who am idle, diligent; fill 
me, who am dry and tepid, with fervor and 
devotion (Grenada). 

Practice — Pray for the pious congrega- 
tions consecrated to the Immaculate Con- 
ception. 



DECEMBER 9. 

Bl. Michael Pages, O., O. P. 

Bl. Father Michael Pages, a Catalan by 
race and a professed of the Convent of 
Mauresa was, according to our Annals, a 
religious of rare merit and a mirror of all 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 537 

virtue. He believed he could not arrive 
more surely at the perfection of his state 
than in seeking some house of observance 
where the Rule, which is holy, and insti- 
tuted by saints, was to be found in full 
vigor, in such a way that every one there 
would be obliged of necessity to conform all 
his actions to it and breathe at all times its 
spirit as in a blessed atmosphere. Having 
then learnt that there had arisen a rigorous 
reform in Languedoc, fruit of the salutary 
impulsion given to the entire Order by B. 
Raymond of Capua, he obtained permission 
to retire there and was assigned to the Con- 
vent at Castres. There he made such great 
progress in perfection that he was com- 
monly called "the saint.'* He died at Cas- 
tres in the year 1436 and God soon con- 
firmed the impression that was held of his 
high virtues by a great number of miracles. 
The people who had a strong sense of sanc- 
tity if little science, came to ofTer him so 
many "exvotos*' and pictures that the chap- 
ter-room was filled and they had to be 
placed in the cloister. He is still honored 
and invoked both at Castres and the neigh- 
boring districts. 

Prayer — Blessed Michael, give me not only 
the desire for my spiritual progress, but that 
I may take the means to ensure it. 



538 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Practice — If you are able to seize the op- 
portunity, induce the persons who have neg- 
lected to approach the sacraments for the 
feasts of All Saints and All Souls' Day to 
make up for it to-morrow. 



DECEMBER 10. 

Our Lady of Loretto. 

The house in which the Word of God was 
made Flesh is one of the most venerable in 
the world; it is the cradle of Christianity. 
The angels, witnesses of the great marvels 
there wrought, were charged to preserve it. 
They therefore transported it beyond the 
seas to Loretto, the centre of Christianity, 
in the twelfth century at the epoch when the 
Musselmans had just conquered the Holy 
Land by the aid of brute force put at the 
service of infidelity. Extraordinary as the 
miracle is, God has been pleased to render 
it incontestable, as can be judged by reading 
the ecclesiastical authors who have given 
an account of it. Every day numberless pil- 
grims come to kiss these sacred walls, that 
blessed soil, eager to assist there at Holy 
Mass; there to thank God for the benefit 
of Redemption, and there to' exalt Mary 
who gave to us the Saviour. A Dominican 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 539 

Tertiary, Sister Rose Augustine, was of this 
number. She was an inhabitant of Loretto 
itself and had such a love for the "Santa 
Casa" that during one night she embroid-^ 
ered a beautiful altar-front to be there 
offered, and which is still to be seen. She 
is buried in the basilica and was declared 
Venerable by Pius IX. 

Prayer — "Hail, O precious Pearl of hu- 
mankind! You surpass the patriarchs in 
faith, the prophets in science, the apostles 
in zeal, the martyrs in patience, the confes- 
sors in temperance, the virgins in humility 
and innocence! Heretofore from earth you 
illumined Heaven; now from Heaven you 
illumine the earth. Despise me not, O 
Mary! O my hope, deign in every necessity 
to assist me!" (Grenada). 

Practice — Let your heart be the "Santa 
Casa," filled with humble sentiments but 
great aspirations. 



DECEMBER 11. 

Ven. Fr. Alexander Vincent Jandel, O. P. 

Father Jandel has been surnamed "the 
Blessed Raymund of Capua of our age." 
Grace working slowly but strongly, con- 



540 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

firmed every day by the experience of facts, 
caused him to aim at regular observance 
(animated at the same time with the prin- 
cipal spirit) in order to restore Dominican 
life to its power and beauty. These observ- 
ances indeed, after having freed man from 
his own spirit to enable him to partake of 
the simplicity of the children of God; after 
having made having made his will supple 
by self-renunciation and subjection to the 
common life, create an atmosphere which 
elevates, enlightens, enlarges and nourishes 
the Friars. Do they remain in their cell, 
what they there study is instantly completed 
by points of view and tastes which become 
the source of great conceptions and noble 
works. Do they labor in the world for 
truth's sake, they there appear transformed 
by penance, prayer and the joy of the chil- 
dren of God. If they have not the advantage 
of numbers, the character of their vocation 
gives them a visibility, a lustre which en- 
hances all their actions. If they do not 
pour themselves out in all kinds of achieve- 
ments, their work is precisely to sanctify 
those who work, in teaching them peace of 
heart, firmness of faith, purity of intention, 
to despise created things and to have a sense 
of things divine. Such was the mode of 
Father Jandel's direction. And what he 
taught, he strengthened by example; he 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 541 

watered it and still waters it by his prayers; 
a worthy representative up to his death of 
the spirit and heart of St. Dominic (1872). 

Ejaculation — Lord, renew our days, such 
as they were in the beginning. 

Practice — Recite "O spem miram" for the 
needs of the Order. 



DECEMBER 12. 

Ven. Sister Leonard Mercier, T., O. P. 

God called her to follow in the secular 
Third Order, in respect to the apostolic as 
to the interior life, the footsteps of St. Cath- 
erine of Siena, who with St. Hyacinth shared 
her predilections. Having assisted her old 
father with a devotedness without limit, and 
closed his eyes in death, she gave all her 
goods to the poor, and retired to the hos- 
pital at Limoges of which she was the 
foundress. She there maintained up to 
sixty poor persons by her begging alone. 
Her tact and her good manners, gave her 
entrance into the houses of the rich, even 
the most worldly; and she profited by it by 
preparing the sick to die well,"or to reconcile 
the divisions of families — of most frequent 
occurrence even in high society, which ought 



542 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

to be instead the model of education- and 
g-ood understanding. When people were 
astonished that she should receive from 
Heaven so many unhoped for graces, she 
declared that the poor were the usual ad- 
vocates whose eloquence and credit she 
employed before God. Upon her death-bed 
she bequeathed to her sister for her in- 
heritance all she possessed, and that was 
her beloved poor of the hospital. Like St. 
Catherine of Siena, her confidant and model 
she died when thirty-three years old, the 
same age as the Saviour (1651), 

Prayer — St. Catherine of Siena, direct my 
affections; St. Hyacinth, govern my con- 
versations. 

Practice ■ — Inform yourself if there are 
any sick per3ons around you in danger, and 
seek to gain their confidence, and the con- 
fidence of those about them in order to do 
them good more swiftly and surely. 



DECEMBER 13. 

Bl. Lucy, called "The Chaste," V., O. P. 

Lucy of Syracuse, martyred by Paschasins, 
whose feast is celebrated to-day by the 
Universal Church, is justly renowned for 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 543 

her courage and her beautiful reply to the 
tyrant: "Those who live chastely and piously 
are the temples of the Holy Ghost * * * if 
you use violence against me. my virtue will 
receive a double crown — '* She has a worthy 
imitator in Lucy la Chaste, whom some 
authors declare to be of French origin, al- 
though she spent her life in Spain. Accord- 
ing to an old tradition, being sought after 
by a young nobleman who wished to gain 
her affections, obeying an extraordinary in- 
spiration she courageously plucked out her 
eyes to rid herself of his importunity. She 
sent them to him on a dish with these 
words: "I present you with what you say 
has charmed you.'* The young man was 
so impressed that he turned to God and 
entered the Order; and Almighty God re- 
warded Lucy's fidelity by restoring her eyes. 
She has since become celebrated in Spain, 
throughout Europe, and even in the New 
World, for her power of curing eye diseases. 
In certain churches her statue is solemnly 
carried in procession each year; several 
chapels have been erected in her honor, 
where eyes of gold and silver are offered as 
exrvotos (thirteenth century). 

Prayer — O Christ preserve me from every 
evil thought, and give me Thy most sweet 
love. (St. Catherine of Siena). 



544 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Practice — Practise modesty of the eyes in 
the church and in the street, always keeping 
some holy thought before your mind's eye 
to prevent your imagination running wild. 



DECEMBER 14. 

Veil. Fr. Peter Paul, C, O. P. 

Father Peter Paul was the son of a mem- 
ber of the Parliament of Aix in Provence, 
in which town he was born. At the age of 
fifteen he took the habit at the Convent of 
St. Maximin. Shortly after his father, who 
had become a widower, likewise consecrated 
himself to God in the ecclesiastical state; 
at his first Mass he was assisted at the altar 
by three of his sons, to the edification of all 
present. One an Oratorian acted as deacon, 
another who had embraced the eremitical life 
was thurifer, and our Peter Paul subdeacon. 
The latter, ordained priest in his turn, like 
a true Friars Preacher bade farewell to his 
beloved Provence and set out for Martinique; 
there his devotedness was so great that he 
was known as the holy missionary. Re- 
called to St. Maximin he was elected Prior 
and he applied himself so zealously to do 
good to all around him, both to religious 
and people, that he was accused of giving 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 545 

excessive alms to the poor. In consequence 
of this a vicar was imposed upon him to 
assist in the temporal affairs of his office, 
but this odious interference neither offended 
him nor stopped his charities. When ad- 
vanced in years instead of seeking dispensa- 
tions and comforts he obtained leave to re- 
turn to the novitiate, under pretext of being 
helped by the novices in his infirmities, but 
in reality to live in greater recollection, 
obedience and humility. He would willingly 
take up the broom as if to teach the novices 
to sweep properly. After his death the peo- 
ple came in such crowds to gaze upon him 
and to ask for relics that he was obliged to 
be buried by night (1727). 

Prayer — My Saviour, make me a saviour 
of souls; I am unworthy, but it is worthy 
of Thee to do it. 

Practice — Willingly mix with children, to 
lead them to virtue. 



DECEMBER 15. 

Ven. Anne Mary of the Crib. 

The spirit of the Order in all its branches 
is necessarily one. But variety does not 
destroy unity, it embellishes and consolidates 

35 



546 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

it. As each monastery has a special name, 
so also it has a particular grace and mission. 
The monastery of the Crib of Bethlehem, 
at Naples, was destined in a marked way to 
give constant and public honor to the birth 
and annihilation of Jesus. Mother Anne 
Mary who was one of its glories seemed to 
have participated in the different graces of 
the Sacred Infancy. She had come into the 
world without causing her mother any suf- 
fering; and she showed herself such a 
lover of poverty as to deprive herself even 
of what was strictly necessary, sometimes 
reducing herself to the last extremity 
through affection for this virtue. It could 
hardly be perceived whether she had a will 
of her own, so readily did the spirit of 
obedience lead her to embrace with pleasure 
things most contrary to nature, resembling 
on this point a certain Sister, Agnes of 
Lima, who used ingeniously to say: "The 
will of those who govern me has put mine 
to flight, I only live by obedience." God 
favored Anne Mary with a wonderful love 
for Holy Scriptures; she explained the most 
diflicult passages with astonishing clearness. 
A great lover of silence she once commanded 
a dove, whose cooing disturbed certain com- 
munity duties, to be silent, and she was 
punctually obeyed. Sometime after her 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 547 

death it was found that her body had 
changed its position, and had turned towards 
the altar (1683). 

Prayer — My God what difficulties I raise 
when 1 have to submit my will to that of 
others ! 

Practice — ^Try and make a crib, or a picture 
of the Infant Jesus for the children of your 
family. 



DECEMBER 16. 

Bl. Sebastian Maggi. 

Sebastian was born of a noble family at 
Brescia. He spent his early years in the 
world without, however, conforming to its 
maxims. At the age of fifteen he entered 
the Order, where he soon distinguished him- 
self by his progress in virtue and science. 
Most zealous for the salvation of souls, he 
showed an ardent charity and tender com- 
passion to sinners, the poor and afflicted. 
In the pulpit he especially treated of the 
moral virtues, and he had received from God 
a special gift for guiding souls in the way 
of perfection. At Milan, seeing that the 
position of the convent made it difficult of 



548 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

access, he undertook to build in the centre 
of the town the beautiful church called "The 
Rose," and God blessed his undertaking by 
a miracle. As superior he was remarkable 
for his exquisite charity towards the sick 
and the gentleness of his reprimands "My 
brethren," he was wont to say, "if by mis- 
fortune you fall into a fault come to me; 
you will find a father, not a judge." Not- 
withstanding his advanced age he had gone 
to Genoa to make a canonical visitation. 
When he understood he was about to die he 
exclaimed: "This is the place of my rest*' 
(1494). The Convent of Santa Maria de 
Castello, which preserves his relics, has be- 
come illustrious for its great doctors, and 
even for its lay brothers, as Brother Au- 
gustine, cabinet-maker. Brother Draconnier, 
organist, and Brother Stephen, miniature- 
painter. All contributes to the glory of God. 

Prayer — Blessed Sebastian, enlighten me 
on the beauty of the evangelical counsels 
and on the manner of adapting them to a 
life in the world. 

Practice — Read Chapter XVI of Book I 
of the Imitation of Christ. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 549 

DECEMBER 17. 

Ven. Sister Mary Lumague, T., O. P. 

Sister Mary Lumagne founded in Paris 
the admirable work called the Divine Provi- 
dence, for poor girls who had gone astray 
or who were in danger. More than once 
she found at dinner time that there was 
not a morsel of bread for the one hundred 
and eighty girls she sheltered, but God came 
to her assistance to reward her faith and 
charity. She would disguise herself as a 
peasant, in order to teach catechism to the 
country people with greater facility; she 
even carried her zeal so far as to go out 
to service that she might bring back to the 
paths of virtue some young girls living in 
the house. Her incessant activity was in 
no way detrimental either to her peace of 
heart or her prayer, the latter she had 
vowed never to omit. Returning to her 
native place in almost a dying state, she 
busied herself on the way with helping the 
poor. On her arrival, instead of taking 
some rest, she had herself led to the church 
to adore Our Lord, and to prepare, by con- 
fession, for a good death. To her initiative 
is owing the foundation of twenty houses 
called the "Christian Union," where pious 
persons of all ranks gather together to 



550 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

maintain their fervor and work for the salva- 
tion of souls, a kind of apostolate more than 
ever necessary in our days (1657). 

Prayer — St. Mary Magdalene, enlighten 
those in danger upon the importance of fly- 
ing dangerous occasions. 

Practice — If you have any servants make 
it easy for them to accomplish their spiritual 
duties, but above all make them relish the 
same by your example. 



DECEMBER 18. 

BL Margaret Ebner, V., O. P. 

The forty years of Blessed Margaret's 
religious life were spent in the practices of 
regular observance, into which she daily 
strove to put fresh love, more diligence and 
care and more profound respect. Under a 
simple and modest exterior lay concealed 
an intimacy with God such as the Imitation 
describes: He habitually converses with the 
interior man in profound peace and with 
overwhelming familiarity. In the account 
written by herself in obedience to her con- 
fessor. Father Henry Niidlingen, we find 
her five special devotions: 1st To the Infant 
Jesus; 2nd to the Holy Eucharist; 3rd to 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 551 

the Holy Name of Jesus; 4th to the Passion; 
5th to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Her 
zeal embraced in particular four classes of 
persons; poor sinners, the sick, the agoniz- 
ing and the abandoned poor. Bavaria, her 
country, continues to venerate her tomb, re- 
gards her as one of its glories and invokes 
her as one of its powerful patronesses (1351). 

Prayer — O Virgin Mary, thou art the 
sacred tabernacle of the Divinity, thou art 
the delightful garden wherein was called the 
most beautiful flower, Jesus Christ, the 
Savious of our souls. Hail, violet of 
profound humility, rose of charity and 
most pure lily of chastity. Grant O Blessed 
Virgin that should I happen to lose the 
grace of devotion through my own fault, I 
may seek it again with all diligence, and after 
having found it guard it with more care, that 
thus I may earnestly give myself to the 
service of my Creator (Lewis of Granada). 

Practice — During the day help some poor 
person; at night pray for the dying. 



DECEMBER 19. 
Ven. Fr. Hyacinth Suarez, C, O. P. 

In the world Father Hyacinth's name was 
Caesar, and he had been a valiant captain 
under the Constable Anne de Montmorency, 



552 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

but at that time his piety was far from 
equalling his courage. The grace of God 
which had transformed Saul the persecutor 
into Paul the Apostle triumphed likewise 
over this wild heart; he set himself to prac- 
tice virtue with such generosity that to 
correct himself of the deplorable habit of 
blasphemy he would strike his mouth so 
violently as to draw blood. The devotion 
to the Rosary which our Fathers had re- 
stored at Clermont drew him to the Order. 
At first he took the habit of a lay brother, 
but Father Michaelis, enlightened from on 
high, foreseeing the good he would do in 
directing souls, gave him the habit of a 
choir brother and made him begin his 
studies. As a matter of fact Hyacinth 
worked successfully for the extension of the 
reform and the salvation of heretics as 
Novice Master and Prior of Albi. To over- 
come his tendency to pride, which remained 
as a remnant of his military life, among 
other practices of humility he always en- 
deavored to wear old, patched habits, re- 
joicing to be an object of pity to some and 
of derision to others. After having passed 
long years in doing penances for his past 
disorders he went to enjoy in God the only 
true glory (1626). 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 553 

Prayer — My God, forgive blasphemers 
their outrages. 

Practice — Never blush to wear poor 
clothes, and always choose ordinary food. 



DECEMBER 20. 

St. Dominic of Sylo, Abbot. 

From his childhood St. Dominic had felt 
an attraction to the monastic life, and he 
left the care of his father's flocks in order 
to embrace it. Whilst he was Prior of the 
Convent of St. Millano, the King of Navarre 
attempted to despoil the sacristy of its treas- 
ures. The Saint firmly resisted him, pre- 
ferring to lose the friendship of the Prince 
and to be driven by force from his mon- 
astery, than to allow a sacrilegious hand to 
be laid on the things of God which the 
Church had confided to his care. After his 
death his tomb became glorious by such 
wonderful miracles that princes and people 
flocked to it from all parts. When Blessed 
Jane of Aza, whose castle was not far from 
Sylo, came to make a novena at the tomb, 
the servant of God appeared to her, and 
foretold the future greatness of the child 
she was about to bring into the world. In 



554 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

gratitude for this favor, our Blessed Father 
was called Dominic, a name which he 
made illustrious by the marvels of his life 
and works. He always showed a lively 
gratitude to his holy benefactor and patron; 
he founded under his patronage the first 
monastery of Dominican Sisters at Madrid, 
to whom he wrote a letter full of fatherly 
interest (1074). 

Prayer — Great Saint who didst protect our 
Father, protect also his children. 

Practice — Be ashamed of your timidity in 
defending the interests of God. . What a 
contrast to your boldness when defending 
your S'^lf-love! 



DECEMBER 21. 

St. Thomas, x4.postle. 

St. Thomas, called Didymus, was courage- 
ous; when the other disciples would have 
dissuaded Jesus from facing death by re- 
turning to Judea, he cried out: "Let us 
go and die with Him." He was not less 
humble; at the Last Supper, when Jesus 
said to the Apostles: "You kriow the way/' 
Thomas simply acknowledged his ignorance 
by these words: "Lord we know not whither 



n 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. DOO 

Thou goest. How shall we know the way?" 
Which question called forth the beautiful 
reply: *'I am the Way, the Truth and the 
Life." The East Indies were the principal 
field of his apostolic labors, and the scene 
of his martyrdom. The name Thomas, 
which means abyss, was justly given to the 
Angelic Doctor, a true abyss of science, and 
who has so well commented on the char- 
acteristic fact of the holy Apostle's life. 
Incredulous at first St. Thomas was after- 
wards permitted by Our Saviour's mercy 
to touch His adorable Wounds. What a 
consolation for him! But happier still are 
they who unite themselves with God in 
the darkness and aridity of faith. It is, no 
doubt, in allusion to this apparition of Our 
Risen Lord, that according to the Fathers, 
St. Thomas composed the twelfth Article of 
the Creed, the resurrection of the body. 
Thus did he repair his hesitation, which, 
after all was more useful to the Church than 
the ready faith of Magdalene and the other 
Apostles. Hence these words of a Doctor 
of the Church: The finger of Thomas has 
become the teacher of the world. 

Prayer — My Lord and my God. 

Examen — Love produces faith. Through 
this love the true servants of God lose all 
faith and all hope in themselves; they have 



556 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

a living, not a dead faith, accompanied by 
sweet and holy operations. (St. Catherine 
of Siena). Has your faith this character? 



DECEMBER 33. 

Bl. Mary Mancini, W., O. P. 

God leads His elect by ways which are as 
impenetrable and varied as they are wise. 
The servant of God, Mary Mancini, who had 
been visited by angels from her childhood, 
and strongly attracted by grace to perfec- 
tion, was twice obliged to marry, and only 
escaped a third alliance by an energetic re- 
fusal. Her house then became a hospital 
for the sick and pilgrims. She entered the 
Third Order at Pisa, by the advice of St. 
Catherine of Siena, which as often happens, 
was her preparation for the religious life. 
She finally entered a monastery of the 
Second Order, directed by Blessed Clara 
Gambacorti, whom she powerfully assisted 
in reforming several Italian convents. Her 
fervor and regularity were great, so also 
were her penances, which she specially of- 
fered for the Holy Souls. The devils afflicted 
her for a long time, but she triumphed over 
them by her patience, thus meriting wonder- 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 557 

ful heavenly favors. Amongst others she 
had an apparition of St. Bridget, and another 
time she saw sixty-three angels each offer- 
ing Mary a flower! her angel guardian gra- 
ciously provided her with one to offer the 
Mother of God (1431). 

Prayer — Blessed Mary, show me all that 
is wanting to make me entirely God's. This 
sight will fill me with shame. But I prefer 
salutary confusion to a dangerous illusion. 

Practice — From now till the end of the 
year scrupulously deprive yourself of all 
superfluities, that you may give extra alms 
to the poor, either in the way of food or 

clothing. 



DECEMBER 23. 

Sister Paret of Clermont, T., O. P. 

This servant of God was of a sensitive and 
independent nature. The thought of giving 
herself entirely to God long caused feelings 
of rebellion, but at last she said with Samuel: 
Here I am Lord. Out of humility she re- 
mained for three years a novice in the 
Third Order. The foundation of a refuge 
first absorbed her; the orphans found her 
a devoted mother; all the poor finally be- 



558 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

came her friends. One day she gathered 
them together in a little vineyard to enjoy 
the fruit; and God did not allow the grapes 
to diminish. Her conversations were short 
but wise; on the other hand her. communica- 
tions with God in prayer were prolonged; 
sometimes He made her experience sorrow 
for many sins committed in the town, at 
other times she was favored with heavenly 
visions. She perceived the Infant Jesus in 
a burning crib, and He said to her: "I was 
born in a stable to draw the kings and 
shepherds to my love." The devil tempted 
her to give up her good works on account 
of thie difficulties she encountered; then to 
renounce frequent Communion because of 
her unworthiness. She avoided the first 
snare with ease but would have been taken 
in the second had not obedience happily 
saved her. On account of the esteem in 
which she was held great crowds gathered 
round her mortal remains; even the pris- 
oners were allowed freedom to venerate the 
servant of God (1674). 

Prayer — Here I am Lord! I will delay 
no longer. 

Practice — Fidelity to Holy Communion; 
instead of omitting It, give up your faults 
and voluntary venial sins. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 559 

DECEMBER 24. 

Christmas Eve. 

The whole of Advent is a time of desire; 
but as Christmas approaches it is but right 
that our desires should be more earnest. 
This is the reason why the Church for the 
last seven days, has been exciting by dif- 
ferent figures and forms the desires of the 
soul; she sings the O, Antiphons, so-called 
because they begin with this interjection, 
wherein are expressed the perfections of the 
Saviour, for whose coming and benefits we 
are waiting. This Jesus who deigns to come 
is as the Wisdom of God proceeding 
from the mouth of the Most High; Adonai, 
guide of the people of Israel; the Root of 
Jesse, which was to be the admiration of the 
kings of the earth; the Key of David, to 
deliver captives; the Orient or Light of the 
nations sitting in the shadow of death; the 
Kings of Nations who is to gather them to- 
gether in unity and peace; the Emmanuel, 
that is God with us — O Jesus Thou art all 
this, and more! Come to us, come, delay 
not. The more unworthy we are the greater 
is our hope — It is related of Blessed Mar- 
garet of Castello that a stone was found in 
her heart whereon was engraved an image 



560 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

of the Infant Jesus in the Crib. May this 
image be spiritually impressed in our hearts 
to-morrow. 

Prayer — My soul thou hast not yet pre- 
pared the way of thy Saviour. Hasten to 
do so. 

Practice — Read the seven O Antiphons, 
making a short reflection upon each and 
prepare yourself to assist at midnight Mass 
with recollection. If you assist with the 
community at the chanting of the Martyr- 
ology, when prostrating according to the 
ceremonial give thanks to God for the bene- 
fit of the Incarnation. If you cannot assist 
at least read it kneeling. 



DECEMBER 35. 

Christinas Day. 

The power of God manifested itself in the 
Creation, His Wisdom in its government. 
His Power claimed submission; His Wis- 
dom admiration; but neither the one nor 
the other could be the subject of imitation. 
To-day the kindness and humanity of Our 
Saviour appears. "My God," exclaims a 
fervent soul, "what holy affections this mys- 
tery produces in us! No other mystery 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 561 

seems so sweetly to combine tenderness 
with austerity, love with hardships. St. 
Paula preferred to live poor in Bethlehem 
than rich in Rome. I understand her, it 
must have seemed to her that day and night 
she heard the sweet Infant Jesus inviting 
her to despise the greatness of the world 
and to love abjection. What does Our 
Saviour not say to us? Our name is written 
in His Heart. If He sighs we have a share 
in that sigh. Let us, therefore, remain at 
His feet, let us look at Him, love Him, thank 
Him and imitate Him." Such will be to-day 
our delightful occupation, after the example 
of some of our Sisters who were especially 
devout to this mystery, and called accord- 
ingly Mary of the Nativity, Mary of the In- 
fant Jesus, Mary of the Crib, etc. 

Prayer — Lord, Thou art great and worthy 
of all praise; but in making Thyself little. 
Thou art worthy of all our love. 

Practice — Meditate before the crib on 
these beautiful thoughts of St. Rose of Lima: 
"When I contemplate the Infant Jesus, it 
seems that by His sweet smile He responds 
to my love, that His glances wound my heart, 
that His movements welcome me. His mouth 
speaks to me, His hands caress me; I can- 
not resist such loving violence and am 
forced to languish with love." 

36 



562 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

DECEMBER 26. 

St. Stephen, Protomartyi'. 

St. Stephen is a true model of strong, com- 
passionate and joyful charity. First, strong 
charity. Without having the example of any 
other martyr to encourage him, he valiantly 
fights against the devil, the old adversary 
used to centuries of combat and accustomed 
to victory. Satan makes the fear of death a 
weapon. Stephen overcomes by confidence 
in Jesus. Second, compassionate charity. 
He, who seemed hard and pitiless when re- 
futing the Jews, who remained erect amidst 
the showers of stones, kneels down to pray 
more humbly for his enemies, he under- 
stands that their conversion is a most diffi- 
cult work. His prayer falls back in floods 
of grace, especially on the young man who 
kept the garments of his murderers. St. 
Augustine says: "If Stephen had not prayed 
the Church would have had no St. Paul." 
Joyful charity. He suffers with a joyous 
heart, the sight of Heaven opened fills him 
with consolation. .He falls on the heap of 
stones dyed with his blood as upon a bed 
of delicate flowers sprinkled with dew and 
he enters into a peaceful sleep. Happy 
death! Happy land watered with such blood! 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 563 

Happy temple consecrated to such a mem- 
ory! Happy are the Friars Preachers en- 
trusted with the task of restoring and peo- 
pling it! Like St. Paula they contemplate 
and taste the mysteries of Our Saviour's 
life, like St. Jerome they penetrate into the 
secrets of the Scriptures and train for the 
East apostles who may bring back again the 
light of ancient days. 

Prayer — St. Stephen, give thy charity to 
young deacons. 

Practice — Show some kindness towards 
those who have wronged you. 



DECEMBER 27- 

St. John the Evangelist. 

St. John is the disciple whom Jesus loved 
on account of his purity and self-forgetful- 
ness. When reposing on the Sacred Heart 
at the Last Supper he drank from their 
source the delights of love, and through the 
Sacred Humanity he was raised to the 
secrets of the Divinity. Hence he is called 
the Prince of Doctors, the Sovereign Theo- 
logian, the Master of Divine Wisdom, the 
Son of Thunder, the Royal Eagle, the Sun 



564 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

of the Gospel, the Friend of the Spouse, the 
Secretary of the Eternal Word, the Depos- 
itary of His Treasures. He spent sixty- 
eight years here below after the Ascension, 
and then his charity reached that state of 
plenitude, perfection and longing which 
makes it fit for Heaven. He had his grave 
dug, threw his cloak in for a shroud and 
then lay down to die. A heavenly light sur- 
rounded him whilst he gave up his soul (101). 
Although St. John's distinctive characteristic 
is the sublimity of his thoughts and affec- 
tions, he has many times condescended to 
the smallest details of charity. Thus he 
often deigned to supply the place of B. John 
Massias in his duties of a lay brother, when 
he happened to be absorbed in some work 
of mercy; and St. Catherine of Siena, wri- 
ting to Blessed Raymund (whom she de- 
clared to be a second St. John the Evan- 
gelist for her), acknowledged that she had 
been miraculously taught to write by the 
beloved disciple. 

Prayer — Blessed disciple, Jesus loved you 
with a love of complacency; ask Him at 
least to love me with a love of compassion. 

Practice — Read the third chapter of St. 
John's Epistle, especially verses 14, 15, 16. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 565 

DECEMBER 28. 
The Holy Innocents. 






Happy children/* says St. Augustine, 
who were unable to pronounce the name 
of Christ, and yet were found worthy to be 
slain for Christ! Their tiny limbs seem un- 
able to receive a wound and they are called 
upon to suffer! They have but appeared 
upon the threshold of life and eternal life 
is opened to them!" "O Flowers of Mar- 
tyrs, pray for us that we may obtain child- 
like simplicity of heart, whence comes that 
unreserved confidence in God which leads 
man to the perfect accomplishment of His 
holy will. May we bear the cross with pa- 
tience when He sends it, and desire nothing 
but His holy will. You gazed upon the mur- 
derers who broke your gentle sleep and you 
found nothing to fear; the bright sword they 
held over your cradle had but the look of 
a toy you asked to play with; death stared 
you in the face and you smiled at it. May 
we imitate you and be meek in the trials 
that come to us by the permission of God" 
(Dom Gueranger). On Holy Innocents' 
Day certain monasteries have special recre- 
ation in which the place of honor is given to 
the novices. It is done in order to impress 
upon them the privileges, advantages and 



\* 



566 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

duties of their state, especially a childlike 
spirit. The Innocents are called the Flowers 
of Martyrs. Are not the novices the flowers, 
the present delight and future hope of the 
religious state? 

Prayer — Divine Saviour, grant that I may 
be what St. Paul recommends, a child by the 
absence of malice, but not by the want of 
Christian sense. 

Practice — Bring to Jesus in His crib the 
offering of some small acts of virtue. 



DECEMBER 29. 

St. Thomas of Canterbury, B. and M. 

Thomas, as a layman, had honorably filled 
the office of Chancellor of England. At the 
age of forty he became Archbishop of Can- 
terbury by the king's express desire, as he 
hoped to have complete sway over the arch- 
bishop. But with the episcopal consecration 
St. Thomas received the grace of a truly 
apostolic firmness and independence. The 
affection of Henry II was soon changed into 
implacable hatred, when, as a true bishop, he 
upheld the rights of the Church against the 
encroachments of the secular power. In 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 567 

vain did the king strive to intimidate him by 
threats, to shake his constancy by the exile 
of his kindred and friends; the bishop's 
courage and love of justice triumphed over 
all. Was this rebellion or blameworthy ex- 
action? "No," says St. Thomas Aquinas, 
"for if the Church may forego certain rights, 
out of compassion for the weak, she must 
resist all maliciously planned usurpation, 
which is prejudicial to the interests of the 
faithful, and even fatal to him who makes 
such an attempt, as we see in Blessed 
Thomas of Canterbury, claiming the rights 
of the .Church in spite of the king's anger." 
His clergy wishmg to close the doors of the 
cathedral against the enraged murderers, St. 
Thomas nobly replied: "A church is not to 
be closed like a fortified place besieged by 
the enemy; I must conquer by suffering, 
not by fighting." He was martyred in 1170, 
the year in which St. Dominic was born. 

Prayer — My God, how little is needed to 
shake my resolutions! I have already failed 
since Christmas! 

Examen — How do you practice the virtue 
of fortitude: First, in face of the contradic- 
tions of the world; second, its seductions; 
third, in the interior anxieties and fears 
which tend to shake your moral courage? 



568 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

DECEMBER SO. 

First Disposition Required to End the 
Year Well. Compunction. 

The end of the year is at hand! At this 
thought my first feeling should be one of 
regret. "Another year of my life has gone!" 
Ah, were it only this, it would be very little 
to the Christian, it would be a thought full 
of sweetness. But its another step towards 
death and judgment! How many faults we 
have committed, how many duties omitted 
during the year! What remains of the num- 
berless concessions made to corrupt nature, 
to human respect, to the fear of trouble and 
difficulty? A sense of emptiness, continual 
remorse and the thought of the chastisement 
to be undergone! I ask Thy forgiveness, 
O my God, I have squandered the precious 
time Thou didst give me, I have abused Thy 
grace purchased for me by the blood of 
Jesus! I humble myself profoundly before 
Thee and accept the punishment it may 
please Thee to inflict upon me. But grant 
me, O Lord', the means to completely repair 
the evil I have done and to make up with- 
out delay for the good I have not done. 
It seems as if Thou didst say to me: "There 
is yet time"; or like the apostle: "Redeem 
the time for the days are evil." Yes, they 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 560 

are evil, but, oh, wonder, by my correspond- 
ence to grace, from evil they become good 
and sweet! Thanks be to Thee, O Lord! 

Prayer — From my secret sins cleanse me, 
O Lord, and from the sins of others spare 
Thy servant (Psalm XVTII, 13). 

Practice — Make a visit to the Blessed Sac- 
rament in reparation for all the graces you 
have lost and for those with which you have 
only partially corresponded. Prepare to 
make a good confession, accusing yourself, 
at least in general, of all the faults com- 
mitted during the past year. 



DECEMBER 31. 

Second Disposition Required to End the 
Year Well. Gratitude. 

However fitting the feeling of compunction 
may be in my soul at the close of the year, 
gratitude ought to predominate; for God 
has shown me more mercy than I have 
shown Him ingratitude. How many mani- 
fest graces I have received ! How many 
hidden graces have been bestowed on me 
without my knowledge! From what count- 
less miseries and falls has not God preserved 



570 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

me! Thou art good, O Lord, and I bless 
Thee. True gratitude consists in returning 
gift for gift in proportion, so that, as St. 
Catherine of Siena says: "The virtues of 
patience, abnegation, obedience and purity 
are an evident sign that the soul recognizes 
itself to have been created to the image of 
God, and recreated by the blood of the hum- 
ble, lovingj meek and crucified Lamb. I de- 
sire, therefore, my God, to return Thee for 
this year of grace, a new year filled with 
gratitude, which shall be shown by many 
acts of virtue. May all be really new: heart, 
words and works: the works especially, 
since the Kingdom of Heaven does not con- 
sist in words but in deeds. Amen. Amen. 
Amen. 

Prayer — Happy would my soul be if, when 
my pilgrimage is ended, I might see, O 
Eternity, thy glory, thy beauty, thy joy, thy 
generous inhabitants and the majesty of thy 
Omnipotent King (Grenada). 

Practice — Recite the *'Te Deum" in thanks- 
giving; meditate on Chapter X, Book, II, 
of the ''Imitation of Christ," and prepare to 
make a fervent Communion to-morrow as 
the best beginning for the New Year. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 571 

lilTTLE DOMINICAN YEAR-BOOK. 
MOVABLE FEASTS. 

N. B. — The days on which these feasts 
fall whilst meditating on the few thoughts 
which follow, the reading for the corre- 
sponding day of the month should not be 
neglected. Both may be read together or 
else at different times in the day. 



THE PRAYER OF OUR LORD. 

Tuesday in Septuagesima Week. 

We call this feast the Prayer of Jesus, or 
else the Agony of Jesus, which shows us that 
it is a mystery both of prayer and suffering. 
Jesus in the Garden of Olives is afraid, 
wearied, overwhelmed with sadness. He 
asks for the removal of the chalice. Still 
more does He crave the glory of God and 
the salvation of sinners; during His agony 
He considers the value of souls for whom 
He already pays the price of His blood and 
tears. Let us enter into His feelings; let 
Him not address to us the reproach ad- 
dressed to the Apostles: "Could you not 
watch one hour with Me?" 



572 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Prayer— How wretched I am, O my Sa- 
viour f I can scarcely watch a quarter of an 
hour with Thee every morning. 

Practice — Persevere in prayer in the midst 
of dryness; but choose, in this case, the 
thoughts and affections best suited to your 
state, that you may draw some, even great 
profit from it. 



COMMEMORATION OF THE PASSION. 

Tuesday in Sexagesima Week. 

The remembrance of Our Lord's Passion 
should be especially dear to the children of 
St. Dominic, for it is a devotion which has 
characterized all the saints of the Order, 
making them powerful in words and works. 
God forbid that we should yield to the soft- 
ness of our age and desert this royal road, 
or preach anything by word, example and 
writing, but Jesus and Jesus crucified. 

Prayer — If in meditation thou canst not 
weep over Christ's Passion, at least rejoice 
at the infinite treasure it has acquired for 
thee (B. Henry Suso). 

Practice — Read over some verses of the 
Passion from St. John's Gospel. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 573 

ASH WEDNESDAY. 

Whilst marking our foreheads with ashes 
the Church to-day says to us: **Remember, 
man^ that thou art dust, and unto dust thou 
shalt return." Yes, we are dust by our or- 
igin and our mortal destiny; and our present 
life would be dust did not the breath of faith 
enliven it at every moment. What makes 
the value of our existence is not the multi- 
plicity of works or the number of years, all 
this is dust; but purity of intention and 
fervor of will. From these come true life, 
that which death will give instead of de- 
stroying. 

Prayer — My God, I promise Thee during 
this Lent to hear Thy Word with zeal and 
docility. 

Practice — In case you should require some 
dispensation from fasting and abstinence 
ask for a commutation which will be a real 
penance. Consider what St. Leonard of 
Port Maurice says, that we, too, often think 
ourselves superior to temptations of glut- 
tony: examine whether — as much as depends 
on you — you mortify the palate. 



574 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

THE LANCE AND NAILS OF OUR LORD. 

Friday of the Second Week of Lent. 

The soldier who pierced Our Lord's Heart 
with a spear was converted, and is invoked 
by the name of St. Longinus. In to-day's 
Office we meditate upon these words: "O 
happy spear, which has brought us so many 
blessings, and which by opening Our Sa- 
viour's side opened for us the gates of the 
Kingdom of Heaven. O happy nails, bathed 
in the immaculate blood of Jesus, which 
have borne the weight of His body and de- 
livered our hands from the chains of sin," 
Why, then, fetter our hands anew by yield- 
ing to our passions? 

Prayer — My Saviour, I adore Thee, cov- 
ered with wounds. I desire to be nailed to 
the Cross with Thee. My Cross is my life. 

Practice — Regard: First, your duties: 
second, your trials; third, your gratitude to 
Our Lord as so many nails fixing you to His 
Cross and helping you to love Him.. 



K' 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. DTt> 

THE HOLY WINDING SHEET OF OUR 

LORD. 

Friday of the Third Week of Lent. 

It is said that Our Lord left the marks 
of His wounds on the winding sheet which 
enveloped His body. St. Paul teaches us 
how to unite ourselves with this mystery 
when he says: "We are dead and buried 
with Christ by baptism." He says again: 
^'Always bearing the mortification of Jesus 
in our bodies." In the natural order a man 
is buried because he is dead; but in the su- 
pernatural order we bury ourselves that we 
may die. Let us accept this death as the 
condition and pledge of a supernatural and 
divine life. 

Prayer — ^O Jesus, make me conformable to 
the image of Thy death. 

Practice — Imagine yourself to be already 
in your shroud; and detach yourself from 
all things by virtue before death detaches 
you by force. 



THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD. 

Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent. 

Many of our saints have had a great de- 
votion to the Precious Blood, but St. Cath- 



576 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

erine of Siena surpasses them all. She begins 
each of her letters thus: "I write to you in 
the Precious Blood of Jesus." She shows 
it to us as a salutary bath, purifying souls, 
as a richly-served table whereat they feed, 
and as a fire wherein they are transformed. 
She had the happiness of sensibly feeling 
herself entirely purified and strengthened by 
this Divine Blood. 

Prayer — O Divine Blood! baptism of the 
soul, regenerate us! 

Practice — During the day often make 
offerings of the Precious Blood for the con- 
version of sinners. 



THE FIVE WOUNDS OF OUR LORD. 

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent. 

The wounds of our Saviour are those 
clefts in the rock which are spoken of in 
Holy Scripture, wherein the dove finds a 
refuge from the arrows of the hunter; yes, 
in these mysterious clefts the soul pursued 
by her spiritual enemies finds a sure refuge. 
The wounds of Jesus are sources of living 
water; there the wearied and thirsty soul 
finds refreshment. But glorious and beauti- 
ful as all those sacred wounds are, the most 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 577 

admirable, the most precious is that of the 
side, whence sprang forth the Church, like 
Eve from Adam's side whilst he was plunged 
in a mysterious sleep. Make your abode in 
this wound. How happy will you be therein. 

Prayer — O Jesus, by Thy sacred wounds, 
make my soul invulnerable to the darts 
of sin! 

Practice — Ask permission to perform some 
bodily mortification. 



PASSION SUNDAY. 

Holy Church begins her night Office with 
this solemn warning of the Royal Prophet: 
"To-day if ye shall hear the voice of the 
Lord, harden not your hearts." She adds: 
''These touching anniversaries of the Sa- 
viour's Passion have the power to renew 
those souls who faithfully correspond to 
grace: but they increase the insensibility 
of those who allow them to pass without 
profiting by them." Fear this insensibility; 
apply yourself to prayer with greater com- 
punction and listen with greater docility to 
spiritual readings and sermons. 

Prayer — My God, grant that during these 
fifteen days I may not lose the smallest 
grace. 

37 



578 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Practice — To be in union with the mourn- 
ing of the Church, who covers her crosses 
and statues with purple, avoid looking at 
useless things in the streets. 



THE COMPASSION OF OUR BLESSED 

LiADY. 

Friday of the Sixth Week of Lent. 

The Compassion of Our Lady is the Pas- 
sion of Jesus extended to Mary, who partici- 
pates in it by the spiritual strength of her 
zeal and love. Jesus in His Passion is 
Priest and Victim. Mary shares His state 
of Victim by the intensity with which she 
feels in heart and senses the sufferings of 
her Son. She likewise participates in His 
state as Priest by freely consenting to His 
immolation, and by freely offering Him her- 
self to the Eternal Father for the salvation 
of the world. 

Prayer — Queen of Heaven, let one of those 
burning tears thou didst so abundantly shed 
on Calvary fall on my heart and soften its 
hardness.. 

Practice — Assist at Holy Mass in union 
with Mary at the foot of the Cross. 



i< 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 570 



PALM SUNDAY. 

This .Sunday is also called in France 
Pagues fleuries/' because it was sometimes 
the custom to give branches of a flowering 
shrub instead of palms. Holy Church in her 
Offices proposes to our meditation these 
words of the Royal Prophet: '*Say to the 
daughter of Sion, behold thy King cometh 
full of meekness." With what sweetness 
does He not show Himself to us each time 
He enters our souls in Holy Communion? 
Going forth to meet Him, offer the laurels 
of victories over self; and lay at His feet, 
to be trodden down, the faults you have 
overcome in order to serve Him faithfully. 
But above all let His triumph in your heart 
be more lasting than His triumph in 
Jerusalem. 

Prayer — My Jesus! my King! mayest 
Thou triumph in the whole world. 

Practice — Prepare for your Easter Com- 
munion. 



MONDAY IN HOLY WEEK. 

The source of grace and mercy is about to 
open and overflow into souls of good will. 
During this Holy Week, formet"iy called the 



580 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Week of Indulgences and the Great Week, 
do not seek to find God by any studied 
means. Let it be for you a retreat on Cal- 
vary, with the Church herself, in her cere- 
monies and prayers, as the preacher. The 
spiritual atmosphere is filled with the in- 
fluence of grace; it suffices to inhale it in 
pe^ce, to feel penetrated with compunction 
and devotion. O my soul! since thou art 
in the Great Week, be thou great also, by 
faith, devotion and love. 

Prayer — Holy Spirit, be my guide through- 
out the comin.s: week. 



Practice — Carefully prepare to follow the 
Holy Week services. Read each day the 
prayers and Gospel of the Mass. 



TUESDAY m HOLY WEEK. 

To-day the Passion according to St. Mark 
is read at Holy Mass. x\t the Introit, the 
Church says to us: "We ought to glory in 
the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ: in 
Whom is our salvation, life and resurrection; 
by Whom we have been saved and de- 
livered" — Say: I believe it, I hope for it, 
and I desire it. Lord ever let me be con- 
founded. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 581 

Prayer— My good Master, make me more 
compassionate to Thy sufferings. 

Practice — When following the Passion at 
Holy Mass, unite yourself with the interior 
sentiments of St. Mary Magdalene. 



WEDNESDAY IN HOLY WEEK. 

It ^as on this day that the high priests 
and ancients gathered together, to deliberate 
on the means of apprehending Jesus. Judas 
sold his Master to them and received in 
payment thirty pieces of silver. Jesus knew 
everything. He awaited in peace the hour 
of His death; He even longed for it. The 
mystery of Redemption is therefore decided 
to-day, consented to, and as it were accom- 
plished both by the deicides and the Son of 
God. O detestable compact! O merciful 
consequences! Jesus is condemned that .1 • 
may be saved. 

Prayer — O my soul! Thy price is the 
Blood of a God! 

Practice — Often offer Our Lord your 
liberty and all your affection in reparation 
for the treachery of Judas. 



582 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 



MAUNDY THURSDAY. 

Just as a loving- father at the approach 
of. death gathers his children around him, 
to tell them his last wishes, to give them his 
final counsels and the last tokens of his love, 
so to-day Jesus assembles His disciples, and 
before bidding them a last farewell, He 
gives them the Holy Eucharist as the me- 
morial of His Passion and the pledge of 
His love. Then as His last instruction He 
pronounces the wonderful sermon after the 
Last Supper, Whose words and doctrine 
would alone suffice to prove His divinity. 
Say to Jesus with St. Peter: Lord, wash 
not only my feet but also my hands and 
head, that I may have a share in the salva- 
tion which comes from Thee. 

Prayer — O Jesus, Bread of Life, strengthen 
our souls! 

Practice — Read the sermon after the Last 
Supper. (St. John Chap. XH, etc.). 



GOOD FRIDAY. 

At no time is Jesus more perfectly a 
Victim than during His agony on the Cross. 
To make Him feel the enormity and horror 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 583 

of sin, His Father allows Him to experience 
a mysterious abandonment, so that He cries 
out in anguish: My God, my God, why hast 
Thou forsaken me? But at no time is the 
Divinity of Jesus more apparent; for to save 
us He endures all in peace, and He gives 
up His Soul when He wills with the cry 
of victory: Consummatum est. Yes all is 
accomplished; God is dead but the world 
is saved. 

Prayer — Say with Tertullian: The more 
Jesus is humbled and annihilated, the better 
do I recognize Him as My Christ. 

Practice — About three o'clock, look with 
loving compassion at the dying face of 
Jesus, and receive His last sigh. 



HOLY SATURDAY. 

Our Lord's tomb is the figure of our life, 
hidden with Him in God. In this holy 
sepulchre the soul experiences mingled feel- 
ings of joy and sorrow; sorrow as she re- 
members' the death of Jesus; joy, because 
with Jesus she is dead to the world and 
the world is crucified to her. Enter this 
tomb and only leave it to rise to a higher 
state, to a more perfect spiritual life. 



584 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Prayer — Heart of Jesus, let me bury my- 
self in Thee! 

Practice — Beware of giving way to a too 
natural joy at the approach of Easter, which 
would cause you to lose the fruit of the 
graces acquired during the preceding days. 



EASTER SUNDAY. 

Alleliua! Let us rejoice! Rejoice with 
Jesus; He will suffer no more, He will die 
no more, He will eternally live His glorious 
life. Rejoice with Mary; her joy is as 
great as her sorrow was. Rejoice for our- 
selves, for a new life, pure, holy, and inde- 
structible, begins for soul and body. O 
death, where is thy victory? O death where 
is thy sting? Thou wouldst lay hands on the 
innocent; so doing thou hast lost thy right 
over the guilty; thy victory is thy ruin. 
Henceforth death is no longer death; it 
is to rise with Jesus. 

Prayer — Alleluia! Praise be to God! 

Practice — Assist with devotion, either in 
person or in spirit, at the procession to 
bring back the Blessed Sacrament to the 
Tabernacle, which takes place in many 
churches on Easter morning, in memory of 
Our Lord Jesus Christ's Resurrection. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 585 



EASTER MONDAY. 

Reflect upon the apparition of Jesus risen 
to the disciples of Emmaus, and apply it to 
yourself. 1st On the way, the words of 
Jesus begin to inflame their hearts; so too 
does He often secretly begin to draw us 
to Himself. 2nd During the meal, at the 
breaking of bread, the disciples recognize 
Jesus; in the same way we find Our Saviour 
in Holy Communion, we are enlightened on 
His mysteries, and we understand human 
life in its reference to the life of God. 

Prayer — Stay with us Lord, for the shad- 
ows of evil threaten to cover our souls. 

Practice — Speak little at mental prayer 
and Holy Communion, but listen attentively. 



EASTER TUESDAY. 

To-day the Church relates to us the ap- 
parition of Jesus to the disciples when He 
greeted them with these words: Peace be 
to you! What is this peace, this gift of God 
to man, which is peculiarly a Christian char- 
acteristic? St. Augustine gives us the ex- 
planation by telling us that "peace is the 
tranquillity of order." Since order does 



586 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

not reign in the human heart it must be es- 
tablished by struggle. Then only shall we 
attain Christian peace, the peace of Jesus, 
which He alone can give, which no human 
power can destroy, and which the same 
Saint calls the peace of victory. 

Prayer — ^Jesus, Prince of Peace, make my 
heart a lover of peace, and in consequence 
ready for every combat. 

Practice — Examine how often you fly from 
the struggle for virtue for the sake of peace. 
Blush at such slavish peace, which is both 
humiliating and false. 



WEDNESDAY IN EASTER WEEK. 

In the appartion of Jesus to His Apostles 
on the shores of the sea of Tiberias two 
questions present themselves.: 1st Why was 
St. John the first to recognize His God? 
St. Jerome says on account of his virginity, 
for has not Our Saviour said: Blessed are 
the clean of heart, for they shall see God. 
2nd Why did St. Peter hasten to meet his 
Master with more ardour, throwing himself 
into the waves? Because he was animated 
by a greater love. Purity allows us to see 
God, love gives us possession of Him. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 587 

Prayer — O Jesus, give me a pure heart 
and an ardent soul, that I may see Thee in 
all things, and follow Thee everywhere. 

Practice — Fidelity to good inspirations. 



THURSDAY IN EASTER WEEK. 

In the apparitions of Jesus to St. Mary 
Magdalene, let us, with St. Gregory the 
Great, admire the love of this woman, who 
alone keeps unwearied and faithful watch 
near the sepulchre, when the disciples re- 
tire discouraged. But, it may be said, what 
is the use of looking and looking again 
into the tomb, when with her own eyes she 
has convinced herself that it is empty? — 
True love is not satisfied with only looking 
once; the eagerness of her loves urges her 
to look again, to hope on. And God, touched 
by her desires, ends by allowing Himself 
to be found. 

Prayer — Lord, grant that I may seek Thee 
with the ardour and confidence of Mary 
Magdalene. 

Practice — In spiritual dryness, have un- 
wearied recourse to prayer; you will gain 
by patiently waiting. 



588 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

FRIDAY IN EASTER WEEK. 

The Alleluia is the distinctive Paschal 
chant, so frequent is it in the Liturgy. St. 
Augustine gives us a very wise counsel on 
the subject: "Weary not," he says, "of 
singing Alleluia, which means praise the 
Lord — but be not satisfied with singing it 
with lips and heart, let your whole life sing 
it. For our Alleluia to be pleasing to God, 
there must be no discord between voice 
and life." 

Prayer — O Alleluia of heaven! When shall 
I come to sing thee? 

Practice — Often during the day thank God 
for the grace of redemption. 



SATURDAY IN EASTER WEEK. 

At the end of Easter Week, without laying 
aside the joys of the Resurrection which last 
throughout Paschal time, and even our 
whole life, let us begin to think of the prac- 
tical means of profiting by them. This St. 
Augustine recommends by these words: *Xet 
us sing my brethren, not remaining idle, 
but to encourage ourselves in our work. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 589 

Thus shall we imitate travellers who sing 
on the road to lighten the fatigues of the 
journey." 

Prayer — I know that my Redeemer liveth, 
and these mine eyes shall behold Him. (Job). 

Practice — During Paschal time regulate 
your meditations, Communions, Rosaries and 
your whole life, that you may continually 
participate in the fruits of the Redemption, 
of the Resurrection in particular. 



LOW SUNDAY. 

To-day the Church relates the apparition 
of Our Lord to St. Thomas and the dis- 
ciples. St. Gregory, explaining the words 
of Jesus to St. Thomas: "Blessed are they 
who have not seen and yet have believed," 
adds, "These words should rejoice us; for 
they especially apply to us, who believe with 
our whole hearts in Jesus, though we have 
never seen Him in the flesh. But, in order 
to be perfectly happy, we must, whilst sin- 
cerely believing, likewise conform our con- 
duct to the teachings of the Faith." We 
see by this remark as well as by those of the 
preceding days that the Fathers of the 
Church agree in showing the Resurrection 



590 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

as a rule of life, as well as our future hope. 
This is St. Paul's meaning when he says: 
"As Christ is risen from the dead, so walk 
in newness of life." Let us go forward; 
no one must go back, no laggards, no 
stragglers, all must go forward. 

Prayer — Lord increase our faith. 

Practice — Pray for unbelievers or for those 
tormented by doubts. 



THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD. 

According to St. Leo the Great, Our 
Lord's Ascension is ours as well; for where 
the head goes the members must follow. 
Let us therefore rejoice and give thanks. 
To-day, not only is our right to the pos- 
session of heaven confirmed, but we al- 
ready take our place there in the person of 
Jesus Christ. We gain more by the grace 
of Our Saviour than we had lost by Satan's 
envy. For the devil had stolen Paradise 
from us; but the Son of God, uniting Him- 
self to our nature has prepared a special 
place for us, raising us to the Father's 
Right Hand. 

Prayer — O beautiful Heaven, thou art 

mine ! 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 591 

Practice — Ask yourself in each of your 
actions if it is worthy of heaven. 



OCTAVE OF THE ASCENSION. 

What should be our idea of heaven? St. 
Augustine says: "It is a city with Truth for 
king, charity for law, and eternity for dura- 
tion." Happy are they who dwell in this 
city of God. But how shall we gain heaven? 
The same Saint replies: "Buy it. It is not 
above your means, you have wherewith to 
puchase it. Heaven is worth what you are 
worth. Give yourself and it is yours." 

Prayer — My God! I value this life too 
much and yet I value it too little. It is 
nothing; but this nothing well used can 
gain heaven. 

Practice — Consider your small actions as 
so many tiny diamonds destined for your 
heavenly crown. On this subject read Chap. 
XLVII, Ver. 2, Bk. Ill, of the "Imitation." 



VIGIL OF PENTECOST. 

This is a day of preparation and retreat. 
"As a tarnished mirror," says St. Basil, 
"cannot reflect the images of things, so 



592 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

man cannot receive the light of the Holy 
Ghost unless he rejects sin and the affections 
of the flesh." Let us prepare our souls for 
the coming of the Divine Spirit, by avoiding 
every wilful imperfection, by keeping silence 
and exciting humble and ardent desires. 

Prayer — Come, O Holy Ghost, come! 

Practice — Unite yourself with the disposi^ 
tions of Mary and the Apostles in the 
cenacle. 



WHITSUNDAY. 

In the silence of eternity the Father be- 
holds His Word, the perfect image of Him- 
self, He delights in Him, He loves Him; 
the Word contemplates the Father, glorying 
to be His Equal, rejoicing to be His Son, 
filled with transports of love for His Father. 
Between the two Persons there is estab- 
lished a mysterious communication; it is 
an infinitely pure Breath, an infinitely per- 
fect Spirit. But what a wonder! This 
Breath lives and burns. It is an ardent yet 
peaceful Flame. O greater wonder still! 
This Flame has life and intellect; It is a 
Person. It is God, the Holy Ghost, the 
substantial love of Father and Son. Their 
mutual Kiss, Their Breath, Their Perfection. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 593 

He differs from Them, yet He is like to 
Them; He shares Their Substance without 
depriving Them of anything; He is pro- 
duced, but not generated; He is the Third 
Person, yet equal to the First; all three 
are God, and yet there is but one Grodf 
O mystery! O accumulation of mysteries! 
To-day is that Holy Spirit given to us. 
What a treasure! What a source of hope! 

Prayer — Holy Spirit, treasure of heaven, 
Thou art mine if I draw Thee to me! 

Practice — If possible, kneel down about 
nine o'clock, to thank God in union with 
Mary for the coming of the Holy Ghost. 



WHIT-MONDAY. 

Ask the Holy Ghost for the gifts of un- 
derstanding and knowledge. The first pre- 
pares the soul to penetrate the truths of 
Faith and inspires it with great certainty 
so that the grasp of mind and heart may 
not be weakened by any apparent difficulties. 
The second enables the soul to form a cor- 
rect judgment of human things in their re- 
lation to salvation, and teaching us to make 
a moderate use of them for the glory of 
God. Our Father St. Dominic possessed 

38 



504 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

these gifts, figured by the star which shone 
on his forehead. Thence his devotion to 
the truth, his understanding of the needs 
of the Church, and his foresight, which 
showed him how powerful over souls would 
his actions and those of his children be 
rendered, by poverty, mortification and 
prayer. 

Prayer — Come, O Holy Spirit, pure Light 
of hearts! 

Practice — In your prayer make the prep- 
aration with care, and above all invoke the 
help of the Holy Spirit with fervor. 



WHIT-TUESDAY. 

Let us ask the Holy Ghost for the gift 
of wisdom. It raises us up above the things 
of time, and enables us to form correct and 
solid judgments on the relationship between 
human and divine matters. By it, we ap- 
preciate the holiness of our religion and the 
purity of its moral teaching; and we ex- 
perience a certain interior delight and wholly 
spiritual sweetness in meditating on these 
things. St. Thomas Aquinas possessed this 
gift; by his writings he caused admiration 
and delight at the Wisdom of God. in his 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 595 

three marvellous works — the creation of the 
world, the Incarnation of the Word, and 
the glorification of souls. 

Prayer — O Holy Spirit, give me the knowl- 
edge of and the taste for spiritual perfection. 

Practice — Think over in your mind all the 
faults against wisdom, of which your life as 
a Christian has been full, and seek out their 
cause. 



WEDNESDAY IN WHITSUN-WEEK. 

Ask the Holy Ghost for the gift of Coun- 
sel. By its aid the Christian deliberates with 
exactness and determines with discernment 
on those particular things which conduce to 
his salvation, or which contribute the most 
efficaciously to the perfection of others, 
especially in unforseen embarrassing cir- 
cumstances out of the range of ordinary 
prudence. St. Catherine of Siena, a poor 
ignorant girl, was directed by this Spirit of 
Counsel. Thus was she able in the most 
critical times to work for the good of the 
Church, leading the Pope back to Rome, 
and guiding a number of disciples from all 
ranks of life in the virtues suited to their 
different states. 



596 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Prayer — Holy Spirit, lead back to the right 
path everything in me that has gone astray. 

Practice: Examen — Have you a director? 
do you follow his counsels? do you believe 
that they have a supernatural power and 
authority? do you, with regard to him, fol- 
low human views and sentiments? do you 
imprudently speak to others of the advice 
he gives you? 

THURSDAY IN WHITSUN-WEEK. 

Ask the Holy Ghost for the gift of Forti- 
tude. It disposes the soul to undertake 
great things for the glory of God, to carry 
them out successfully in spite of the most 
extraordinary and unforeseen difHculties, and 
to resist the most violent temptations which 
may come from the world and the devil. 
Look at St. Peter Martyr; while still a child 
he comfounded the Manicheane; later on, 
like a valiant soldier, he attacked them 
vigorously and gave his life in defense of 
the Faith. This was the work of the Spirit 
of Fortitude which rested on him. 

Prayer — O Divine Spirit I am weakness 
itself, uphold me. 

Practice — In the midst of difficulties, in- 
voke the Holy Ghost, and perserve in your 
work. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 597 



FRIDAY IN WHITSUN-WEEK. 

Ask the Holy Ghost for the gift of Piety. 
It enables us to honor God as our good 
Father, it inspires us with a holy eagerness 
to offer Him due worship, it leads us to 
reverence the saints as His intimate friends, 
to revere the Holy Scripture as the expres- 
sion of His Truth, and to cherish our fellow 
men because they are His living image and 
His adopted children. St. Agnes of Monte- 
pulciam gives us an example of piety. There- 
fore did Jesus and Mary show her tokens 
of their tenderness, and her sisters loved her 
as a mother who represented to them the 
goodness of God. 

Prayer — Holy Spirit teach me to call God: 
"My Father." 

Practice — In prayer unite your heart by 
confidence with the Hearts of Jesus and 
Mary. 



SATURDAY IN WHITSUN-WEEK. 

Ask the Holy Ghost for the gift of Fear, 
which inspires us with profound respect for 
the majesty of God, a lively fear of dis- 
pleasing Him, an instinctive horror of sin. 



598 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

The life of St. Lewis Bertrand offers us a 
beautiful example of this salutary fear; it 
caused his cell to resound with sobs of con- 
trition, filled him with piety and made him 
so persuasive in inducing others to redeem 
the time and conquer their passions. 

Prayer — O my God, give me a fear of 
venial sin! 

Practice — Examine yourself on your abuse 
of grace. 



TRINITY SUNDAY. 

Before the creation of the world the Most 
Holy, August and Adorable Trinity filled 
Eternity. In Creation the Blessed Trinity 
was manifested, and imprinted the divine 
image in man. It is foreshadowed many 
times in the events, the prophecies and the 
canticles of the Old Testament. The In- 
carnation is the work of the Blessed Trinity. 
In Its name are the chief works of regenera- 
tion performed in the Church. At the end 
of the world, this Adorable Trinity will be 
the term of all things as It was the begin- 
ning; the occupation of the elect will be 
to see and bless the Three Divine Persons 
saying: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord. Glory 
to Him in the highest. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 599 

Prayer— O Trinity Thou art a glorious 
Flower glorifying Thyself, Thou art Thine 
own glorious Fruit. (St. Catherine of Siena). 

Practice — Each time you say the Gloria 
Patri offer your life to God for His glory. 



FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI. 

Rejoice that one of your own brethren, 
St. Thomas Aquinas, has been chosen to be 
the sweet singer of the Eucharist, and medi- 
tate upon the words of the antiphon x:om- 
posed by him: O sacrum convivum, etc. — 
It says first of the banquet: In quo Christus 
sumitur — The Eucharist is a banquet wherein 
Christ our God gives Himself as food. 
**No," says our Doctor, *'there is no other 
nation so great or which has its God so 
near * * * The only Son of God became 
man, in order that men might become as 
God." In truth, Jesus, in giving Himself 
as our food is not changed into us; we are 
changed into Him, because it Is the part 
of the more noble being to raise up and 
assimilate to itself that which is inferior. 
O mystery which enchants us by its beauty 
even more than it amazes us by its depth! 



600 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Prayer — My soul prepare thy dwelling for 
so great a King, thy heart for so sweet a 
Guest, thy love for so pure a Spouse. (Bl. 
Henry Suso). 

Practice — Accustom yourself while taking 
material food to think of the Holy Eucharist, 
especially on seeing bread and wine. 



FRIDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CORPUS 

CHRISTI. 

Recolitur memoria passionis ejus — Our 
Lord has left us a memorial of His Passion 
under the species of bread and wine; to 
remind us that as bread is made of grains 
of wheat bruised, and wine of grapes pressed 
out, so in His Passion, His Body was 
bruised, and His veins opened to pour out 
the last drop of His Blood. We should, 
then, in receiving the Holy Eucharist, com- 
municate in Our Lord's spirit of sacrifice, 
"bruising our hearts by repentances and 
'chastising our bodies by penance. 

Prayer — I am ready to follow Thee to the 
cenacle, O my Jesus; am I as eager to drink 
the chalice of Thy Passion? 

Practice — Give thanks to Jesus for the 
children who are making their First Com- 
munion. 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 601 

SATURDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF 
CORPUS CHRISTI. 

Mens impleturgratia. "Draw near to 
Jesus Christ," says St. Ambrose, "and satiate 
yourselves, for He is your bread; quench 
your thirst for He is a fountain of living 
water; be ye enlightened for He is the 
true Light, be ye set free, for where the 
Spirit of God is there is liberty; approach 
Him and be absolved, for He is the remis- 
sion of sin.' This bread is called the Eu- 
charist, that is perfect grace, "because in 
this Sacrament we receive not only all 
graces, but the Author of all grace!" (St. 
Bernard). 

Prayer — O Jesus, our sweetness and our 
strength, fill us every morning with Thy 
mercy. 

Practice — Say the Te Deum to thank God 
for the blessing of the Eucharist. 



SUNDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CORPUS 

CHRISTI. 

Et futurae gloriae nobis pignus datur — 
The Holy Eucharist plants in our souls and 
bodies the germ of a glorious resurrection. 



602 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

"He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My 
Blood/' says Jesus, "hath everlasting life, 
and I will raise him up at the last day. 
Your fathers did eat manna in the desert 
and are dead, he that eateth this bread shall 
live forever/^ Even when in this life Holy 
Communion brings us no c6nsolation, we 
should in order to prepare to receive it, 
courageously mortify our passions, and con- 
tinually purify our hearts. It is a great 
thing, it is indeed everything, to prepare 
well for heaven. 

Prayer — O Divine Eucharist! Thou art 
my heaven upon earth. 

Practice — Say the Sequence Lauda Sion or 
at least the four last verses. 



MONDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CORPUS 

CHRISTI. 

"Holy things to the holy," says the Sacred 
Scripture. What holiness then is required 
of those who receive the Blessed Eucharist — 
the Holy One. The tongue on which the 
Sacred Host reposes should speak only of 
heavenly things; the palate which tastes It 
should have lost the taste for sensual pleas- 
ures; the heart which receives It should 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 603 

be extraordinarily pure, entirely disengaged 
from creatures and from self — Do I desire 
to attain to this state? 

Prayer — O Jesus, separate me from all 
created things, separate me from myself. 

Practice — Be specially recollected from 
the time you rise till after Holy Communion. 



TUESDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CORPUS 

CHRISTI. 

The Eucharist requires holiness in us .as 
a fitting preparation. But its effect is to 
communicate a more perfect sanctity. If 
before Communion the soul is inclined to 
the life of sin, after Communion it lives by 
the life of Jesus; and this new life is all 
the more close and strong if the separation 
from sin has been complete and generous. 

Prayer — O loving Pelican, Lord Jesus, 
cleanse me from my stains in Thy Blood. 



WEDNESDAY IN THE OCTAVE OP 
CORPUS CHRISTI. 

Jesus in the Eucharist is for the soul 
aspiring to perfection, a model of obedience, 
of charity and of the love of solitude. 1st 



004 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

He obeys every moment the humblest of 
His priests. 2nd His charity extends to all 
souls; the faithful have only to come for- 
ward, the priest has but to speak, and He 
gives Himself to all without exception. 3rd 
The duties of obedience and charity fulfilled, 
He returns to the solitude of the tabernacle, 
an active solitude, where He glorifies His 
Father, and intercedes for souls. 

Prayer — May I always thirst for Thee, 
Source of life, Source of wisdom, Source of 
eternal light. (St. Bonaventure). 

Practice— Examine whether you have re- 
course to Jesus in these three important 
points of the spiritual life. 



OCTAVE OF CORPUS CHRISTI. 

We say that a man is not known when 
he is not appreciated according to his merits. 
From this point of view, Jesus in the Eu- 
charist is truly a hidden and unknown God; 
the angels might reproach us as St. John 
Baptist did the Jews: There hath stood one 
among you whom you know not. Do we 
believe God to be in the midst of us, as a 
Father by His Providence, as a Shepherd 
by His vigilance, as an ever faithful Friend, 



SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 605 

as a Mediator continually reconciling earth 
with heaven? Our conduct hardly proves 
we do. 

Prayer — O my Jesus, how much I regret 
my distractions and coldness in Thy pres- 
ence; my body is so near Thee, and my 
heart so far distant. (Bl. Henry Suso). 

Practice — Often during the day adore in 
spirit, Jesus in the tabernacle. 



SACRED HEART OF JESUS. 

The Heart of Jesus, opened by the lance, 
is the • Shelter wherein sorely-tried souls 
may take refuge as in an impregnable fort- 
ress. It is a Fountain, where weary souls 
may find refreshment, drawing from It the 
waters which spring up to everlasting life. 
It is also a school, wherein we may learn 
to accomplish with the interior spirit all 
the duties of life, even the most distracting. 
Let us approach the Heart of Jesus, saying: 
"Lord it is good for us to be here, let us 
make our abode in Thee." 

Prayer — My Jesus give me Thy Heart that 
I may always act from the interior spirit 
of srracp. 



606 SAINTS AND SAINTLY DOMINICANS. 

Practice — Read in the life of St. Catherine 
of Siena, the account of the miracle which 
Our Lord performed, when He took her 
human heart and put in its place His own 
Heart, with all its perfections and in- 
clinations. 



PURE HEART OF MARY. 

"The heart of Mary," says St. Bernard, 
"is a furnace of love with seven distinct 
flames, seven marvellous and progressive 
operations. 1st, this divine love separates 
from all created things; 2d, it makes a new 
being; 3d, it communicates itself by charity; 
4th, it exults in praises; 5th, it interiorly 
tastes the things of God; 6th, it compas- 
sionates all sorrowing hearts; 7th, it con- 
summates the soul in imion with God its 
Creator and Saviour." 

Prayer — Sweet Heart of Mary, be my 
salvation. 

Practice — Study and imitate the feelings of 
the heart of Mary with regard to God and 
your neighbor. 



INDEX 



I N DEX 



Abbreviations, List of 20 

Adelaide of Colmar, Ven 265 

Agnes, St., Ven., M 50 

Agnes of Jesus, Ven 421 

Agnes of Montepiilciano, St 184 

Agony of Our lord 571 

Aimon, Bl 96 

Alan de la Roche, Bl 475 

Albert of Bergamo, Bl 219 

Albert the Great, Bi 500 

Albert O'Brien, Ven 391 

Alexander Baldrati, Von 275 

Alexander Vincent .Tandel, P 539 

All Saints 477, 489 

All Saints of the Dominican Order 491 

All Souls 480 

All Souls of the Dominican Order 492 

Alphonsus Ligouri, St 363 

Alphonsus Navarette and Companions, BB. 

MM 247 

Alvarez of Cordova, Bl 93 

Amata, Diana and Cecilia, BB. 259 

Ambrose, St 160 

Ambrose of Siena, Bl 141 

Amicie de Montf ord, Ven 271 

Andrew, St., Apostle 52.3 

Andrew Abellon, Bl 225 

Andrew Peschiera, Bl 47 

Angela of Merici, St . .257 

Angelico of Fiesole, Bl 95 

Anne, St., Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. .328 

Anne Marie, Ven 545 

Atiniversaries of the Dead — 

All' Deceased Dominicans 492 

Deceased Benefactors of the Dominican 

Order 387 

Fathers and Morhers of Dominicans 71 

Those buried in Dominican Cemeteries ...... 306 

39 



610 INDEX. 

Annunciation, The 145 

Antoninus, St., Archbisliop 215 

Antoninus Massoulie, Ven 51 

Antoninus Timmermaus, Ven 101 

Antony, St., Patriarch of Hermits 44 

Antony della Chiesa, Bl 881 

Antony Leguieu, Ven 356 

Antony Maria Zaccaria, St 297 

Antony Neyrot, Bl 169 

Antony of Padua, St 265 

Antony Pavona, Bl 168 

Aquinas, St. Thomas 119 

Amaud and Peter, BB 284 

Ascension of Our Lord 590 

Octave 591 

Ash Wednesday 578 

Assumption, B. V. M 358 

Athanasius of Alexandria, St 208 

Augustine, St 377 

Converson of 222 

Augustine of Biella, St 330 

Augustine of Lucera, Bl 347 

Augustine Schoeffler, Ven 381 

Baptism of our Lord 38 

Baptism, Nativity of St. John 281 

Barnabas, St., Apostle 262 

Barthomolew, St., Apostle 371 

Bartholomew de las Casas, Ven 269 

Bartholomew of Braganza, BL 462 

Bartholomew of Cervera, Bl 185 

Bartholomew of ihe Martyrs, Ven 194 

Basil the Great, St 266 

Benedict, St., Patriarch 140 

Benedict XI, Bl 300 

Benedict XIII, Ven 486 

Benedicta of Laus 384 

Benefactors, Anniversary of Deceased 887 

Benevenuta Bojani, Bl : .472 

Bernard of Clairvaux, St 365 

Bernard Guidonis, Ven 209 

Bernard of Morlass, Bl 497 

Bernard Scammaca, Bl 78 



INDEX. 611 

Bemardine of Lucca, Ven 187 

Bernardine of Siena, St 231 

Bertrand of Garrlgaa, Bl 390 

Blessed Virgin. See Mary. 

Bonaventure, St , 310 

Bridget, St 441 

Brocard of Strasburg, Ven. . 251 

Bruno, St 438 

Cajetan, St 346 

Camillus of Lellis, St 325 

Carino, BI 495 

Catherine of Alexandria, St 515 

Catherine Jarrige, Ven 296 

Catherine of Raconigi, BI 388 

Catherine de Ricci, St 84 

Catherine of Siena, St 199 

Stigmata of 210 

Catherine of the Will of God, M 156 

Catherine of St. Magdalen, Ven 72 

Cecilia, St 511 

Cecilia, Diana and Amata, BB 259 

Ceslaus, Bl 316 

Chabert of Aiguebelle, Bl 291 

Chains of St. Peter 337 

Chair of St. Peter at Rome 46 

Charity of Brescia, Ven., Sister 397 

Charity of Infant Jesus 26 

Charles Borromeo, St 483 

Christians, Mary, Help of 236 

Christmas Day 560 

Christmas Eve 559 

Christopher of Milan, Bl 110 

Churches, Dedication of French 478 

Circumcision 21 

Clara, Bl 180 

Clare of Assisi, St 353 

Claude Pleure, Ven 138 

Clement, St 512 

Columba of Rieti, Bl 230 

Commemoration of St. Paul 290 

Compassion B. V. M 578 

Compunction 568 



612 INDEX. ^ 

Constantius Fabriano, Bl 104 

Contents, List of 3-14 

Conversion of St. Augustine 222 

Conversion of St. Paul 56 

Corpus Cliristi 599 

Octave of 600-604 

Cross, Exaltation of 403 

Finding of the Holy 204 

Crown of Thorns 190 

Dalmatius Monier, BI 418 

Damian of Finario, Bl 468 

Dedication of the Churches of France 478 

De Montf ort, Bl. M. Grlgnon 234 

Denis, St., and Companions 442 

Desgenettes, Ven., Mons 216 

Diana, Cecilia and Amata, BB 259 

Dominic, St., Our Holy Father. 341, 352 

Dominic, St., in Soriano 405 

Translation of relics 237 

Dominic Osman, Ven 529 

Dominic of Silos (Sylo), St 553 

Dominic of Valerica, Bl 250 

Dominic and Gregory, BB 193 



Easter Saturday 583 

Easter Sunday 584 

Easter Week 585-589 

Egldius, Bl 221 

Elias of Toulouse, Bl 315 

Elizabeth of Hungary, St 506 

Elizabeth de Levi, Ven 304 

Epiphany 28 

Octave of 29, 31, 32, 38 

Espousals B. V. M 81 

Everard, Bl 263 

Exaltation of the Holy Cross 403 

Felix of Valois, St 77 

Finding of the Holy Cross 204 

Five Wounds of Our Lord 576 

Foreword 17, 18, 19 

Founders of the Servites 90 

Frances Dorothea, Ven. M 132 



INDEX. 613 

Francis of Assisi, St. . . 435 

Stigmata of 408 

Francis Caracciolo, St 253 

Francis of Paula, St. 157 

Francis Possadas, Bl. 412 

Francis de Sales, St 62 

Francis Xavier, St 327 

Gabriel, Archangel 144 

Gabriella d'Autun, Ven., M 125 

Gaspard of the Cross, Yen 89 

Genevieve of Siena, Ven 466 

Gethsemane, Prayer and Agony of Our Lord in. 571 

Giles, Bl 221 

Gonsalvo of Amaranthe, Bl 34 

Good Friday 582 

Gratitude 569 

Gregory and Dominic, BB 193 

Gregory the Great, St. 126 

Gregory Nazianzen, St 213 

Gregory Thaumaturgus, St 503 

Grignon de Montfort, Bl 234 

Guala, Bl 385 

Guardian Angels 432 

Heart of Jesus, Sacred 605 

Heart of Mary, Pure 606 

Help of Christians, Mary 236 

Henry, St., Emperor 312 

Henry Suso, Bl . Ill 

Hermits, Patriarch of, St. Anthony ...44 

Hilary, St. B. of Poitiers . 40 

Holy Crown of Thorns, The 190 

Holy Guardian Angels 432 

Holy Innocents 565 

Holy Name of Jesas 41 

Holy Name of Mary 394 

Holy Thursday 582 

Holy Week 570-583 

Hugh of St. Cher, Bl 148, 524 

Humbert de Romans, Bl 422 

Humility of Infant Jesus 31 

Hyacinth, St 359 

Hyacinth Suarez, Ven 551 



614 INDEX. 

Ignatius of Loyola, St 335 

Imelda Lambertini, Bl 406 

Immaculate Conception, The 535 

Index Alphabetical 609-620 

Innocent V, Bl 278 

Innocents, Holy 565 

James, Bl 521 

James the Great, St 327 

James of Mevania, Bl 369 

James and Philip, Apostles 202 

James Salomon, Bl 245 

James of Ulm, Bl 447 

James of Voragine, Bl 309 

Jane of Aza, Bl 338 

Jane Frances de Chantal, St 366 

Jane Leires, Sister 313 

Jane of Orvieto, Bl . 324 

Jane of Portugal, Bl 218 

Jerome, St 427 

Jerome Emilian, St 321 

JESUS CHRIST— 
Mysteries of — 

Annunciation 145 

Ascension 590, 591 

Baptism 38 

Circumcision 21 

Doctors, in the midst of 29 

Epiphany 28 

Holy Name 41 

Nativity 559, 560 

Passion of. See Passion. 

Sacred Heart 605 

Virtues of — 

Charity 26 

Humility 31 

Obedience . 25 

Poverty 22 

Purity 24 

Sacrifice 21 

Zeal 28 

Joachim Ko, the Illustrious Mandarin 177 



INDEX. 615 

Joan of Arc, Bl 212 

John Arrias, Ven 63 

John the Baptist, Nativity of St. . 281 

John of Castro, Bl 178 

John Chrysostom, St 59 

John of the Cross, St 514 

John Dominic, Bl 260 

John the Evangelist, St 563 

John of God, St 120 

John of Gorcum, St 303 

John Gualbert, St 307 

John of Liccio, Bl 499 

John Lopez, Ven. B 48 

John Massias, Bl 434 

John of Hatha, St 77 

John of Salerno, Bl 349 

John Tauler, Ven 505 

John the Teutonic, Bl 533 

John of Vicenza, Bl 459 

Jordan of Pisa, Bl 117 

Jordan of Saxony, Bl 87 

Joseph, St., Patriarch, Spouse, B. V. M. ..^37, 147 

Patronage of 200 

Joseph Calasanctius, St 375 

Joseph Canh, BL, M., T., O. P 227 

Joseph Cupertino 424 

Julianna Morel, Ven 268 

Lady of Soreto, Our 538 

Lady of Mt. Carmel, Our 313 

Lady of the Snows, Our 343 

Lance and Nails of the Passion 574 

Lawrence, St., Martyr 350 

Lawrence of England, Bl 517 

Lawrence of Ripafracta, Bl 92 

Leo the Great, St 171 

Leonard, Ven 114 

Leonard Mercier, Yen 541 

Louis, St., King of France 372 

Louis Bertrand, St 444 

Louis Calco, Ven 163 

Louis Gonzaga, St 27b 

Louis of Granada, Ven 355 



616 INDEX. 

Louis James Olivier, Ven. F 107 

Low Sunday 589 

Lucy, Bl 542 

Lucy of Nami, Bl 502 

Luke, St., Apostle 456 

Magdalen of Trino, Bl 450 

Mannes, Bl 334 

Marcolinus, Bl 54 

Margaret Alacoque, Bl 454 

Margaret of Castello, Bl 174 

Margaret Ebner, Bl 550 

Margaret of Hungary, Bl 57 

Margaret of St. Thomas, Ven 154 

Margaret of Savoy, Bl 518 

Margaret of the Virgin, Ven 282 

Maria Bartholomea, Bl 241 

Marie of St. Anne, Ven 368 

Mark, St., Evangelist 191 

Mark of Marcianise, Ven 116 

Mark of Modena, Bl 294 

Martha, St 332 

Martha Berard, T^ay-sister 122 

Martin Donadieu, Ven 399 

Martin Porres, Bl 484 

Martin of Tours, St 494 

Martyrs of Avignonnet, BB 243 

Mary, Blessed Virgin. Mysteries and Titles — 

Annunciation 145 

Assumption 358 

Compassion 578 

Espousals 81 

Help of Christians 236 

Holy Name of 394 

Lady of Mt. Carmel 313 

Lady of the Snows 343 

Nativity 393 

Place in the Mystery of the Nativity 32 

Pure Heart of 606 

Purification (J8 

Visitation 293 

Mary of the Ascension, Ven 166 

Mary de Combe, Ven 319 



INDEX. 617 

Mary Lumague, Ven 549 

Mary Magdalen, St 322 

Mary Mancini, Bl 556 

Matthew, St., Apostle 414 

Matthew Carrerl, Bl 440 

Matthew of Paris, Bl 69, 299 

Matthias, St 102 

Maurice d'Albi, Bl 247 

Maurice of Hungary, Bl 142 

Melchior Cano, Ven 153 

Michael, St., Archangel 425 

Michael Pages, Bl 536 

Monica, St 206 

Mt. Carmel, Our Lady of 313 

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 393 

Nativity of Our Lord. See also Mary and Jesus 

Christ 559, 560 

Nativity of St. John the Baptist 281 

Nicholas of Holland, Bl 526 

Nicholas of Myra, St 532 

Nicholas Palea, Bl 86 

Norbert, St 254 

Obedience of Infant J esus 25 

Olier, Ven. Mons 285 

Osanna of Mantua, Bl 272 

Our Lady, Help of Christians 236 

Our Lady of Loreto 538 

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel 313 

Our Lady of the Snows 343 

Palm Sunday 579 

Paret of Clermont, Ven 557 

Passion of our Lord — 

Commemoration of 572 

Five Wounds 576 

Lance and Nails 574 

Prayer in Gethseraaue 571 

Precious Blood 575 

Winding Sheet 575 

Passion Sunday 577 

Patrick, St. B., Apostle of Ireland 134 

Patronage of St. Joseph 200 



618 INDEX. 

Paul, Commemoration of St 290 

Paul, Conversion of St 50 

Paul of the Cross, St 196 

Paul of St. Teresa, Sister 287 

Pentecost 591, 592 

Pentecost Week 593-597 

Peter, BL, Lay-brother 37 

Peter, St., Prince of the Apostles 288 

Chains of 337 

Chair at Rome 46 

Peter of Alcantara, St 297 

Peter of Aragon, Yen 244 

Peter and Arnaud, BB 284 

Peter Celestine, St 228 

Peter Cellani, Bl 98 

Peter Damian, St 99 

Peter de la Coste, Yen .172 

Peter Giradel, Yen 74 

Peter Gonzales, Bl 175 

Peter Guillot, Bl., and Companions, MM 188 

Peter Ibanez, Yen 402 

Peter Jeremia, Bl 123 

Peter, Martyr, St 197 

Peter Nolasco, St Or* 

Peter Paul, Yen 544 

Peter Quintin, Yen 188 

Peter of Rheims, Yen 35 

Peter Rondon, Y. F 105 

Peter Ruffia, Bl 488 

Peter Sanz and Companions, BB. MM 240 

Peter of Tapia, Yen , 469 

Peter of Tifemo, Bl 462 

Philip Benizi, St 374 

Philip and James, SS 202 

Philip Neri, St 238 

Philomena, St 382 

Pius Y., St 207 

Poverty of Infant Jesus 22 

Prayer of Our Lord 571 

Precious Blood 575 

Presentation B. Y. M 509 

Purification B. Y. M 68 

Purity of Infant Jesus 24 



INDEX. 619 

Raphael, St., Archangel 465 

Raymund of Capua, Bl 437 

Raymund of Pennafort, St 53 

Reginald Cavanac, Yen 453 

Reginald of Orleans 83 

Relics in Dominican Churches 474 

Remigius, St 431 

Robert of Avignon, Bl : 181 

Robert of Naples, Bl 128 

Roch, St 362 

Rome, Chair of St. Peter 46 

Romens Catalan, Bl 448 

Romuald, St 75 

Rosary, Feast of the Most Holy. 428, 430 

Rose of Lima, St 380 

Sabina, St 378 

Sacred Heart of Jesus 605 

Sacrifice, as Taught by the Infant Jesus 21 

Sadoc and Companions, BB. MM 248 

Saints, Feast of All .477 

Saints; Feast of All Dominican 491 

Scalarius, Bl, C. O. P 302 

Scholastica, St " 80 

Sebastian Maggi, Bl 547 

Sebastian Michaelis, Ven 279 

Seraphin Cappomi, Ven 400 

Servatius, St 233 

Servites, Founders of the Order 90 

Seven Founders of the Servite Order 90 

Simon Ballachi, El 481 

Simon, the Devout Brother 150 

Simon and Jude, SS 471 

Simon Saltarello, Ven 415 

Simon Stock, St 224 

Snows, Our Lady of the 343 

Sophia of Colmar, Ven 396 

Stephana, Bl 43 

Stephen, St. Protomartyr 562 

Stephen Bandel, Bl 256 

Stigmata of St. Catherine 159 

Stigmata of St. Francis 408 

Sybillina de Biscossis, Bl 135 



620 INDEX. 

Telmo, Bl. 175 

Teresa, St. 451 

Thecla, St 417 

Thomas, Apostle, St 554 

Thomas Aquinas, St 119, 129 

Translation of 60' 

Thomas of Canterbury, St 566 

Thomas Catimpre or de Champ re, Ven 165 

Thomas De, M., Bl 360 

Thomas of Villanova, St 419 

Thorns, Crown of 190 

Three Martyrs of Urgel 66 

Timothy Ricci, Ven , 445 

Tora, Bl 180 

Transfiguration, The 344 

Translation of the Relics of St. Domuiic 237 

Translation of the Relics of St. Thomas 

Aquinas GO 

Trinity Sunday 59. 

Urgel, Three Martyrs of 66 

Ursula, St., and Companions, MM 460 

Venturinus of Bergamo, Bl 151 

Villana, Bl 108 

Vincent Ferrer, St 162 

Vincent de Paul, St 318 

Visitation, B. V. M 293 

Voluntas of Basle, Bl 530 

Whit-Sunday 591-592 

Week of 593-597 

William Amaldi and Companions 243 

William d'Orly§ 131 

Winding Sheet of Our Lord 575 

Yves Maienc, Ven 340 

Zeal of Infant Jesus 28 

Zedislava, Bl 520 

Zedmera, St., Ethiopian 40t) 



I 



3rro 



